I saw an online ad for what was posted as “the last copy of the Des Moines Tribune” for sale for $3, so I bought it. I spent the rest of the evening scouring every line in every story on every page. I was mesmerized.

The date on the publication was Sept. 25, 1982. A banner across the top said, “So long! It’s been good to know you.”

This last edition of the Des Moines Tribune was the only Tribune I have ever seen. I started working at The Des Moines Register in 1990 — less than eight years after the afternoon paper ceased — but the Tribune was hardly mentioned and never seen. Some copies may have been stowed away in the Register’s library archives, but I never saw them.

What I did see when reading the last issue of the Tribune a few days ago was a really good afternoon newspaper, something I would guess was sorely missed by those who relied on it each day. It was “scrappy” and “lively” and “sassy.” Those are words not used to describe many newspapers today. It was also “struggling,” which, unfortunately, is a descriptor for many of today’s remaining daily newspapers.

Frank Miller’s front-page editorial cartoon was simply a feather quill with “The Tribune” on it, showing one final drip of ink.

Beanie Zwart. Walt Shotwell. Mark Hansen. Bill Bryson. Herb Owens. Gordon Gammack. Lil McLaughlin. These and others left their mark on the pages of the Des Moines Tribune. And so did more than 185 full-time employees in news, promotion, circulation and production operations at the Register and Tribune who were let go when the paper folded, or “merged” with The Des Moines Register.

That final edition of the Tribune was printed in two sections with a total of 36 pages. I counted more than 115 local display ads and six pages of tight classifieds in type so small I could not read it. In comparison, I counted 15 ads in Friday’s Des Moines Register of 28 pages, and very few of those ads were local.

Then-publisher Gary Gerlach, who had the difficult job of closing the 75-year-old newspaper, wrote of “some terrible truths” about the demise of the Des Moines Tribune. Other sources reported the afternoon newspaper lost $618,000 in its final four months. Several stories in the paper boasted of the Tribune’s peak circulation of 147,000. None mentioned the circulation at its close.

But, even in its final issue, the paper had a full page of church news, incredible high school sports coverage, useful TV listings and more than two dozen ads for movies. Its pages measured 14 inches by 23.75 inches and had only “spot” color on a handful of pages. Annual subscriptions were $1 per week, and the single copy price was 25 cents.

An old saying says, “What goes around comes around,” and I learned a great deal by reading that last issue of the Tribune. Despite its financial woes, those involved with the paper did a lot of things right, and — 42 years later — their efforts are sparking some ideas for this scrappy and sassy publisher.

Have a marvelous Monday, 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 other columns here.

FILM REVIEW
‘The Substance’ delivers a campy, bloody romp you won’t soon forget

By David Rowley

“The Substance”
R | 141 minutes
Director/Writer: Coralie Fargeat
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid

“The Substance” is not just a horror film — it’s a savage indictment of celebrity culture and the lengths to which society pressures women to maintain an unattainable ideal of beauty. It’s a tragic, funny and deeply disturbing film that will resonate with anyone who has felt the weight of those expectations.

Directed by Coralie Fargeat, the film is a grotesque, satirical journey through themes of fame, beauty, aging and societal pressure, all set in the cutthroat glitz and glamour of Hollywood. It is visually stunning, unnerving and unmistakably unique, destined to polarize audiences and become a cult horror classic.

The race is on: From Hot Wheels to race wheels

By Rachel Harrington

As a young boy, Robbie Vierhout enjoyed playing with toys such as Hot Wheels and model cars. Though his family wasn’t a part of any racing community, he developed a love for fast cars, “probably through the movies,” he says.

“When I got my driver’s license, I couldn’t get into a car fast enough,” he says.

It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that Vierhout began following professional racing like the Indy 500.

“I was mostly interested in building cars at first,” he shares. “I had my previous car for about 10 years and used it for car shows, but, after a while, I found myself wanting something a little more exciting.”

Happy Birthday Stephanie Toot!

These celebrities were born on this date: Julia Roberts, Annie Potts, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Paisley, Gwendoline Christie, Matt Smith, Andy Richter, Bill Gates, Frank Ocean, Caitlyn Jenner, Daphne Zuniga, Dennis Franz, Ben Harper, Jami Gertz, Lauren Holly, Troian Bellisario, Chris Bauer, Lenny Wilkens

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

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

Yesterday's riddle: How does a ghost cow laugh? MOO-HA-HA-HA - Gail Tomlinson. Other answers: William Snyder

Today's riddle:

Why did the policeman ticket the ghost on Halloween?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or CITYVIEW, contact:

Mary Fowler
Account Executive
515-953-4822 x311
c: 641-485-0555
mary@dmcityview.com

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