School is back in session, at least in the school districts for most of you who are reading this. If you live outside of Iowa, you may wonder why students here go back to school before Labor Day. Good question. The basic answer is that, if schools start in September, the school year would run later in the spring and give districts less flexibility with snow days. And, in many years, school is canceled multiple days in Iowa because of snow.
Meanwhile, a growing number of districts have wanted to start school even earlier. Lawmakers fought this, though, as some estimates show that every day in August that school starts earlier, the state is losing out on more than $22.36 million in revenue. Those who employ teenagers, including farmers, also feel the crunch when school starts, as they struggle to find workers to replace them.
Of course, the year-round school conversation keeps coming up, and a handful of school districts have implemented it and are singing praises.
Regardless of your opinion on the school start date subject, the fact remains that, right now, school is in session in Iowa. And in most other places in America, the school bells will be ringing soon, too. That’s a big deal for the 55 million or so kids in grades kindergarten through 12. If you are curious, that’s about 16% of the U.S. population. And it’s not just a big deal for the kids. Just ask any parent of a school-aged child about the back-to-school stress.
Jolene and I are now empty-nesters, but it doesn’t seem like too many years ago when we were getting the kids ready and taking pictures on the front step on that first day of school. In reality, it wasn’t all that long ago. But the years keep passing by.
With school back in session, summer is over for kids and their parents. Their sights are set on football games, fall festivals and Halloween.
The rest of us are enjoying what the Beach Boys called “Endless Summer.” We get another month or so of summer days without kids running around town. For much of the days, it is quiet and peaceful, and I have learned to appreciate these times, too.
Summer will officially end on Sept. 22 this year, but you can count on seeing me in shorts and flip-flops until October, at least on the weekends. You can enjoy it, like I do, and still “Be True to Your School” while having “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
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
We have slight rain chances ahead today, but much better chances come late Thursday. Temperatures get cooler after that.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Featured in the August issue of CITYVIEW | | | DES MOINES FORGOTTEN
Des Moines’ first and only elevator death
By Kristian Day
I recently participated in an architecture walking tour of downtown Des Moines. I went with my mother and a handful of her friends for the southern tour of downtown that goes from the Civic Center to the World Food Prize and then makes its way around Court Avenue until it ends at the Kirkwood. My mother, a gem who I love dearly, mentioned at one point that the concrete corner of one of the buildings smelled like urine. She said this in her “outside voice” and quickly moved closer to the air flow.
While walking north on Fourth Street, we stood at the cross section with Court Avenue. Without anyone asking me, I made sure to mention to our guide that Pints used to be a gay bar back in the 1970s that was surrounded by dirty bookstores on both sides. Also, that one bar incarnation attempted to use the top floor with apartments as a men-only bath house. My mother loved that and applauded my knowledge of Des Moines history. (That’s a lie.) | | | 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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Woebegone Wednesday
• McStalgia in a go-cup. McDonald's is now offering collector cups from six decades of collaborations, free with "collector meals." They include Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Beanie Babies, Shrek, Jurassic Park and the Coca-Cola polar bear, my favorite. Caveat — these are plastic, not glass like the originals. P.S. A recent story in Cheapism explained why McDonald's Coca Cola tastes better than others. They buy a more concentrated syrup and spend more time cleaning the dispensing lines.
• Do you miss old fashioned Caesar salad, before the dressing came in branded bottles, with ingredients you can't pronounce? Washington Post provided the skinny on the marvelous table side indulgence of the Great Depression: Five Cardini brothers from Baveno, Italy, came to America in the early 20th century for better-paying work in the hospitality business. Caesar Cardini waited tables in hotels in Montreal and San Francisco before he opened a restaurant, Brown’s, in Sacramento. When Prohibition turned Tijuana into a boom town, Caesar and Alex partnered in a series of restaurants and hotels just south of the border catering to wealthy Americans who didn’t want the party to stop. This was their original recipe:
Ingredients
6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread, preferably day-old
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves
6 anchovy fillets
1 large egg
10 romaine lettuce leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
Directions
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Arrange the bread slices on a large, ungreased sheet pan and toast for about 10 minutes, or until crisp. Brush both sides of the bread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and return to the oven for another 4 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping halfway through. Meanwhile, on a cutting board, mince and mash the garlic and anchovies together into a mostly smooth paste; you can use the side of the knife to help press and mash them.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and gradually add 1 tablespoon of the oil, using a fork to mix and mash until incorporated. Spread the mixture onto one side of each bread slice. (Applying it to the hot bread will help mellow the flavors, but you may need to wait 1 to 2 minutes, until the slices are cool enough to handle.)
• Place the egg in a small bowl and pour over enough of the boiling water to cover it. Let rest to partially cook for 3 minutes. Drain, and crack the egg into the same bowl or a liquid measuring cup; the white should be opaque and just setting. Lightly beat the egg with a whisk or fork until mostly combined.
• In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, Parmesan, the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, the lime juice and Worcestershire sauce, and gently toss with the bread slices and egg until well incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Wednesday deals
• It's Walleye Wednesday at Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University Ave., West Des Moines) with fried walleye, fries and mignonette for $19.99.
• Kwik Stars offer their excellent fried chicken on Wednesdays for $9.99 for 10 bone-in pieces.
• Basic Bird (2607 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) has $1 wings on Wednesdays.
• Wendy's offers free nuggets (six) with a purchase on Wednesdays.
• Wednesday is Chicago Italian roast beef sandwich day at Graziano Brothers (1601 S. Union St., Des Moines) $10.
• Marianna's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) has Taco Wednesday and Thursday because they are closed on Tuesday.
• Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers steak and lobster tail with a side for $25 on Wednesday.
• Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ (403 Iowa Ave., Luther) serves fabulous brisket burnt ends as a Wednesday special...
• Wednesdays bring live jazz and discounted food and drink to Panka Peruvian Restaurant (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines).
• Price Chopper delis have $6 meat loaf dinners today with two sides and a dinner roll.
• Opa! (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has all night happy hour and $14.99 any steak on the menu on Wednesdays.
• Fareway stores' Labor Day sale features $9.88/pound USDA Choice T-bones, $3.99/pound Fareway original brats and $3.99/pound extra meaty baby backs through Saturday.
• This week's Wednesday specials at Waterfront (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) are red king crab clusters and golden crab clusters.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$340,000 244 56th St., Des Moines, IA 50312
Come fall in love. This home has been so well taken care of you can tell from the moment you pull up to it. Walk into your inviting living room with a grand fireplace. Kitchen is beautiful and was remodeled just a few years ago. Appliances all stay for your convenience.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 1300 N.W. 138TH ST., CLIVE
SALE DATE: 2024-06-04
SALE PRICE: $1,875,000
SELLER: 138TH STREET PROFESSIONALS LLC
BUYER: SAHABAH SERVICES REVOCABLE TRUST
ACRES: 1.935
SQUARE FEET: 20,412 |
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| From the August issue of Ankeny Living magazine | | | Youth take training to the next level
Wilwerding siblings go ninja
By Darren Tromblay
With children who have nicknames like “C the Beast” and “Bud the Stud,” it’s no wonder that Janet and Dave Wilwerding’s Ankeny home has an attached garage that is anything but a place to store vehicles.
Stop by the Wilwerdings’ home on any random day of the week, and you might find Caroline, 12, and Ryan, 10, jumping, climbing, running and hanging around inside that very garage, doing what they do best: being ninjas.
[...] | | | READ MORE |
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FROM KCCI: Historic downtown river bridge darkened by copper thieves. DES MOINES, Iowa — The historic Jackson Street bridge, a 126-year-old landmark in downtown Des Moines, has been plunged into darkness after thieves stole copper wiring that powered its lights. Des Moines bike rider Matt McDonald expressed frustration, calling the act "pathetic" and lamenting the loss of a favorite spot. ....READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Indianola man, woman accused of enticing a child for sex. INDIANOLA, Iowa — The Indianola Police Department arrested two people on Tuesday in connection to a child sexual abuse case. According to the Indianola Police Department, 41-year-old Jason Witzke and 39-year-old Valerie Cross attempted to entice a minor to a residence in Indianola for sexual purposes. ... READ MORE
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Iowans can now request absentee ballots for November’s general election. Registered voters in Iowa can request an absentee ballot through their county auditor starting Tuesday, Aug. 27. Here's how....READ MORE |
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Diane Ferguson submitted this photo of her cat, Higgins, "on the outside lookin’ in." She noted that the cat wasn't out long and is thoroughly spoiled.
Send your photo of the season, of attending area events, of sights from around the area, of pets or other fun pics to tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com. |
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ESPN: NCAA proposes eliminating football's spring transfer window. ...READ MORE
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: For the Tour Championship, 30 Players Will Take on a New East Lake Golf Club ... READ MORE
CBS Sports: Caitlin Clark ties rookie 3-point record as Fever beat Dream, move closer to ending playoff drought ...READ MORE |
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1955: Emmett Till is murdered. On August 28, 1955, while visiting family in Money, Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till, an African American from Chicago, is brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman four days earlier. ... READ MORE
1987: HIV‑positive Ray brothers’ home burned down. On August 28, 1987, the home of the Ray brothers—three HIV-positive Florida boys—burns down in what was almost certainly a case of arson. The three brothers, who are not in the house at the time, have already faced intense discrimination due to their HIV status, and today their story serves as a reminder of the brutal reality of America’s reaction to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Richard, Robert and Randy Ray, who were 10, 9 and 8 at the time, were all born with hemophilia, a condition that required them to receive blood transfusions. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | These celebrities were born on this date: Cassadee Pope, Florence Welch, Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, LeAnn Rimes, Quvenzhane Wallis, Shania Twain, Honey Boo Boo, David Dallas, Armie Hammer, Valtteri Bottas, Jason Priestley
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
What do you call a boat full of salmon eggs? A ROE BOAT! - Brent Antisdel, Lori Bluml, Kris Laurson, Carolyn Rogers, Gail Tomlinson, William Snyder, Brendan Comito, Shirley Petersen, Rex Post
Today's riddle:
What do you call a potato that pretends to be a tomato?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Waukee, Norwalk or West Des Moines/Jordan Creek Living magazines, contact:
Martha Munro
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 314
Mobile: 515-321-5246
martha@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! |
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