Welcome to another edition of the mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by readers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.
“Congratulations, you are officially enrolled in the Weird Old Man Club (Socks, Dec. 17, 2024). Meeting Thursday night.” - JP
There is strength in numbers. See you at 7 p.m. - Shane
“I have finally recovered from experiencing people mismatching their socks on purpose (Socks, Dec. 17, 2024). It's America, land of the free and weird.” - Brad
When I was in college, I sometimes wore two different colors of wrestling shoes. I wasn’t good enough to be that cocky. But weird enough? Definitely. - Shane
“Want to put fear of embarrassment into the hearts of your children and grandchildren (Socks, Dec. 17, 2024)? Wear calf-high socks with sandals! Now that’s a fashion statement!” - Chuck
We used to refer to those sandals as thongs. Whole different meaning today. - Shane
“Man, I love your columns! After reading the one about socks, I feel even more convinced that we were separated at birth (Socks, Dec. 17, 2024). However, we do have different preferences when it comes to Christmas Eve soups (Urbandale Living, December 2024). I continue the family tradition of serving oyster stew on Christmas Eve, and I absolutely love it. I’m not sure about that Spamwich thing, though! - Pat
Don't knock it till you try it. Put a little on your plate. - Shane
“Heading to the horse barn in the dead of winter caused me to discover Wigwam socks (Socks, Dec. 17, 2024). By purchasing the ‘7-footers,’ and with short legs, they go to my knees. Warm, soft, they work. Even though I do not have horses any longer, I still wear Wigwams. Hubby knows winter is officially here when the Wigwams come out of the drawer. Maybe it's just getting to say Wigwams that I like?” - Diane
I never had a pair of Wigwams. But there is still hope. - Shane
Thank you for reading.
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FROM KCCI: 'There's a car in the kitchen': Car crashes into Des Moines house in early hours of New Year's Day. ... Des Moines police responded to nearly 300 calls overnight into New Year's Day, about 10% more than during the same period last year. That includes the report of a shooting at a party in the 1900 block of E. Bell Ave., where an adult male was injured... ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Iowa had 351 traffic fatalities in 2024. DES MOINES – In 2024, 351 people died on Iowa’s roads. The Iowa State Patrol has plans to lower that number in 2025. Sergeant Alex Dinkla, a Public Information Officer with the Iowa State Patrol, said that Iowa State Patrol will push lawmakers to pass a hands-free law this year banning using a cell phone while driving....READ MORE
FROM WOI: Iowa's vaping regulation law delayed amid lawsuit from local businesses. On Thursday, the state agreed to delay the enforcement of the law, which requires all products to have been marketed by August 2016. ....READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Snow will fall from this morning into the afternoon, with 1-3” totals expected. Temperatures then turn colder into the weekend. More accumulating snow is possible Sunday.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | FEATURE STORY
Winter Arts and Entertainment Guide
By Cyote Williams
Brenton Skating Plaza. Photo courtesy of City of Des Moines
Get ready to bust out your winter boots, heavy coats, thick gloves and ice scrapers if you have not already. Some snow has started to fall, and so, too, has your ambition to get out of the house. There’s just one problem. Central Iowa is a hotbed for art galleries, theatrical performances, indoor sports teams and musicians all winter long. Keep this guide handy in the winter months and see how many events and activities you can attend.
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Another reason why Northern California ain't what it used to be. Concord is a once proud East Bay city that has seen its thriving city square lose all its tenants. The last restaurant downtown, Peru, announced on Christmas Eve that they were closing after New Years Eve. California passed a law making it the easiest state in America to sue small businesses for gender discrimination. One out-of-state lawyer forced Peru to bankrupt itself fighting such a suit over their "Ladies' Night" promo in which ladies could buy drinks for half price. (Informnny) |
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Reckoning 2024 in arts and culture
Zeitgeist of the year: An anti-war movement moved Des Moines with the year's most memorable exhibitions. Charles Scott Ross' landscapes of Russia's decimation of Ukraine raised enough money to allow at least nine Ukrainian high school students to fight extradition and pursue college educations in Iowa. Drake Law School assisted. Teo Nguyen's stunning "Politics of Unworthiness" turned the most infamous images of the Vietnam War into wind-grieved ghosts of our collective memory. |
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(Pictured: Teo Nguyen's "It Has Been Raining for Days”). Both shows were produced by Moberg Gallery. The most impressive museum show of the year, at Des Moines Art Center, "b. Robert Moore" included bittersweet portraits of children playing war games. On the international level, we thought the most moving exhibition of the year was "October 7th 06:29 AM – The Moment Music Stood Still," a traveling show that reminded visitors of that horrible day in 2023 when a peace loving congregation was brutalized by the worst anti Semitic hatred since Nuremberg. It played Wall Street during the worst days of anti Semitic demonstrations on NYC campuses and streets. |
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Thursday specials
• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers a steak special with choices on Thursdays. Choose one: prime filet mignon, New York strip or baseball cut sirloin, plus one selected side, $25
• Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines), Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive), and Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola)
• Thursday nights, Moroccan couscous — lemon chicken, beef keftas, five vegetables, harissa — are $17 at Purveyor (505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines).
• Sprockets (2314 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a breaded pork tenderloin special on Thursdays for $9.99
• Kids eat free at Scornovacca’s (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays
• Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) offers $2 off all sushi on Thursdays
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) has karaoke tonight from 6 p.m.
• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) has $1 smoked wings Thursdays.
• It's prime rib night at Flying Mango (4345 Hickman Road, Des Moines).
• Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special of beef stew and cornbread Thursdays for $13.
• Fareway is offering whole USDA Choice rib roasts at $13.99/pound, bone-in roasts $14.99/pound and boneless $16.99/pound through Saturday.
• Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive), a recent Tuesday Tout, offers an all-you-can-eat dosa (gram/rice flour crepes) buffet on Thursdays 5:30-9 p.m. $18.95. This locally owned store is the raj of south Indian cuisine and dosa is its prophet.
• Southridge Hy-Vee has a $10 steak dinner special on Thursdays with $1 going to Southside Cares.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Annual Event
1. Iowa State Fair
2. ARL Raise Your Paw Auction
3. Des Moines Arts Festival
The 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll is now closed. Results will be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$835,000 405 Woodhaven Drive Polk City, IA 50226
Explore this delightful 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom home by Brenner Built, set on a fantastic end-of-cul-de-sac lot spanning over half an acre. Featuring a gourmet kitchen with a spacious walk-in pantry, a luxurious primary suite, and an open floor plan perfect for effortless entertaining.
See the listing here.
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 426 E. ARMY POST ROAD, DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-09-03
SALE PRICE: $833,333
SELLER: NMI HOSPITALITY INC
BUYER: SNYDER, TRISTEN
ACRES: 0.794
SQUARE FEET: 4,592 |
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First Friday at Mainframe
Jan. 3, Asian American-Pacific Islanders celebrated.
Beaverdale Books feature author presentations
Jan. 6 - Melissa Harris
Jan. 7 - Jamie Seitz
Jan. 8 - Elodie Opstad
Award-winning documentary screening, Des Moines premiere
"The Negro Artist," featuring Iowa poet, Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey, happens at xBk Live Friday, Jan. 10.
— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz |
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Featured in the current
issue of Altoona Living magazine | | | Meet Matt Darland
Helping students grow their leadership skills
By T.K. West
After graduating from Johnston High School in 2011, Matt Darland received a degree in finance from Iowa State University in 2015. Although he worked in the financial industry for a while, he decided to return to school to pursue a degree in elementary education and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2019.
Now, Darland is in his first year teaching with the Southeast Polk Community School District. Prior to joining the district, Darland taught at Harris-Lake Park School District in northwest Iowa and Collins-Maxwell School District just northeast of Des Moines. He currently teaches fifth grade at Altoona Elementary School. | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: Sugar Bowl postponed to Thursday after New Orleans truck attack ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Xander Schauffele Says U.S. Will 'Take a Lot of Crap' For Ryder Cup Payments ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: Lakers coach JJ Redick says beating Cavaliers requires 'close to perfect basketball' after 122–110 loss ... READ MORE |
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1958: Opera star Maria Callas walks out of performance. On January 2, 1958, celebrated soprano Maria Callas walks off after the first act of a gala performance of Bellini’s Norma in Rome, claiming illness. The president of Italy and most of Rome’s high society were in the audience, and Callas, known for her volatile temperament, was sharply criticized. It was a characteristic move for the Greek-American diva, who packed as much drama into her personal life as she did on the stage. ...READ MORE
1811: First censuring of a U.S. senator. Senator Timothy Pickering, a Federalist from Massachusetts, becomes the first senator to be censured when the Senate approves a censure motion against him by a vote of 20 to seven. Pickering was accused of violating congressional law by publicly revealing secret documents communicated by the president to the Senate. .... READ MORE
2009: News breaks of rare Bugatti “garage find." On January 2, 2009, media outlets report that a rare unrestored 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe has been found in the garage of a British doctor. A month later, in early February, the car sold at a Paris auction for some $4.4 million. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday Sue Fidler and Amy Welp.
These celebrities were born on this date: Shelley Hennig, Bryson Tiller, Ben Hardy, Jilly Anais, Claire Rosinkranz, Taye Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Dax Shepard, Fernando Tatís Jr, Cuba Gooding Jr, Kate Bosworth, Alden Richards
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle: What’s the one type of pain that’s enjoyable on New Year’s? CHAMPAGNE! - Gail Tomlinson, Paula Becker, Lori Bluml
Today's riddle: What do criminals pay on Jan. 1?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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Dan Juffer
Senior Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 303
Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com
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