Welcome to the Friday 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.
“Thank you for this (Autograph your work with excellence, Jan. 21, 2025)! I printed it, and it's on my desk at work. Keep autographing YOUR column with excellence! Look forward to reading it every morning at work.” - Kim
Thank you, Kim. I appreciate your kind words, and I am glad you are reading. - Shane
“I've been thinking about you're encouragement to select local businesses when shopping (I like to know who I am buying from, CITYVIEW, January 2025). I agree with you. We patronize the few locally owned stores and restaurants, but so many are parts of national and regional chains. They may be owned by franchisees in many cases. They are all staffed by local people, our neighbors. In this social media world, I connect with many of them in ways I never would before. Despite being a regional chain, each week we have gone to Perkins, sit at the same table and have the same server. We've had the same Great Clips stylist for close to 15 years through three maternity leaves. I acknowledge the staff at Sam's pharmacy as my ‘pharmacy friends.’ We've known the manager of our Fareway store for close to 30 years. I'm among many patrons of heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical companies once locally owned. My HVAC company is now owned by an out-of-state firm. Changes have already come that disappoint me. Let me end with this. The printed news I read, because of the conglomerate liberal leanings that the Register spews, is exclusively from the Iowa-owned publications you publish.” - John
All great points, John, and all the more reason to seek out and support the locally owned businesses we still have. - Shane
“One of my favorites from the legendary coach John Wooden: ‘If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?’ (Autograph your work with excellence, Jan. 21, 2025). It's a good reminder that rushing through something might save you time right now, but it'll ultimately take you more time to do it over if there are problems.” - Rex
I equally enjoyed reading about Coach Wooden’s lessons on how and why to properly lace up basketball shoes. - Shane
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's past columns here. |
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FROM KCCI: Pregnancy education bill advances out of Senate subcommittee hearing, faces backlash from public. DES MOINES, Iowa — Changes to curricula surrounding human growth and development could soon be coming to Iowa classrooms. A bill that would require students in grades one through twelve to watch videos and animations related to prenatal human development made it out of its Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday. Two Republicans signed off, and Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (D-West Des Moines) didn't. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Polk County Sheriff’s Office addresses rumors of ICE agents at courthouse. According to the sheriff’s office, reports claiming there were multiple arrests made by ICE agents are not true. The sheriff’s office said ICE Agents were at the courthouse Thursday morning but arrested only one individual in a public area without incident. Following the arrest, the ICE agents left the courthouse. ...READ MORE
FROM WOI: Newton duo arrested in mail theft investigation, face multiple charges. Authorities identified two suspects, Newton residents 32-year-old John Davis and 30-year-old Lauren Parkison. ...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
We get milder into the weekend starting today, then warm next week. Conditions stay dry.
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 | | | FILM REVIEW
Nostalgia for the 1990s hits an all-time high in ‘Y2K’
By David Rowley
“Y2K”
R | 91 minutes
Director: Kyle Mooney
Writer: Kyle Mooney, Evan Winter
Stars: Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison
Kyle Mooney and Evan Winter’s “Y2K” is a throwback to the dope show that was the late 1990s — packed with outrageous humor, absurd situations and a hefty dose of nostalgia. It’s a movie that knows its audience — those who lived through dial-up internet, pop-up-filled monitor screens, Sharpie-covered mix discs, and Millennium Bug hysteria. Forget Easter eggs; audiences are treated to a plateful of “member berries” that feel like a warm, chaotic hug. | | | READ MORE |
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Iowa food scene dissed again. Escoffier Culinary School issued results of their research seeking the best states for providing a hot culinary scene. We found the factors used in the survey most viable — restaurants per capita, percentage of independent restaurants/chains, Michelin starred cafes, number of restaurants per tourist, and percentage of incomes spent in restaurants.
Hawaii tops the rankings, standing out for its exceptional capacity to serve visitors, with 376 tourists per restaurant — the highest of all states. Additionally, 77.17% of its restaurants are independently owned. The state also ranks high in restaurant spending and employment, with 14% of jobs tied to the industry. New York is second offering 68 Michelin-starred establishments and a high percentage of independent restaurants at 71.87%. Nevada takes third, standing out for its restaurant spending, which accounts for 43.81% of the average food budget, and the highest percentage of restaurant jobs, making up 15% of the state’s workforce. California ranks fourth with a best-in-nation 85 Michelin-starred restaurants and the most restaurants per capita. Florida is fifth with 164 visitors for every restaurant, highlighting its popularity with tourists. It also has 26 Michelin-starred establishments, with 11% of its workforce employed in the restaurant industry. Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, Rhode Island and New Jersey filled out the top ten.
Take aways for Iowa. 1.) Our problem in this survey is our problem attracting tourism without mocking ourselves. Tourists are attracted to hot culinary scenes and hot culinary scenes feed off tourism. The best advertising is word-of-mouth, and that can't spread far without outsiders. Our excellent culinary scene in Des Moines took off because New York Times legend RW Apple lauded it many times while covering our caucuses for five decades. However, our media is relentless prioritizing the junk foods of our number one tourist attraction — the Iowa State Fair. Those are also the foods that give us our high ranking in obesity surveys — second worst of all non-Southern states. That's humiliating for the better angels in our best kitchens. It perpetuates a deplorable food identity for the sate. 2.) Half the states on this list are reviewed by Michelin. At least one state bribed Michelin to do so and got lots of stars. We are not willing to do that in Iowa, but that's probably the only way it will happen.
Basic Bird is temporarily open. Repairs are still a few weeks away but they're open with Band Aids. |
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Tune in to Kitchen Insider on KFMG 10 a.m. Saturday as George and I talk "Asian food in Des Moines" with Trang Pham of Eggroll Ladies and Kevin Liu of Mandarin Noodle House.
Weekend deals
• Fish Fry Friday night specials can be found at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale), Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines), Cracker Barrel (11701 University, Clive) and Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines). Lent dinners don't begin until March 5. |
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• Brenda Trang offers her fabulous Friday buffets every Friday at Vietnam Cafe - Merle Hay Mall Food Court, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. - $18.95.
• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday - Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.
• Mickey's in Yale (217 Main St., Yale) has hot beef sandwich lunches and all you can eat fish dinner specials today.
• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.
• 801 Chophouse (801 Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers Sunday supper specials that deliver deep discounts on filet, prime rib and red king salmon dinners.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) now has brunch on Fridays.
• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.
• Friday night is paella time at Purveyor (505 E. Grand, Des Moines, officially, but really on E. Fifth), real Valenciana paella.
• Wendy's Fry Days mean free fries Friday with a purchase.
• Maxie's Supper Club's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Friday special is chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes - $16.95 all day. They also have prime rib dinners on Friday and Saturday for dinner only, $30-38.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has about a zillion BOGO free offers through Tuesday.
• Aldi has a sale on navel oranges at $2.99/4-pound bag, cucumbers at 59 cents, and Baby Bellas at $1.29/half pound package through Tuesday.
• Fareway has a sale on wild fresh flounder at $9.99/pound, and Iowa chops at $1.99/pound through Saturday. I bought some flounder and it was fabulous.
• Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.
• El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill (3751 EP True Parkway, West Des Moines) has live music from 6 p.m. Fridays.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Spa
1. Coachlight Clinic & Spa
2. East Village Spa
3. Lotus Skincare Studio
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 | | |
$385,000
323 W. Jefferson St.
Winterset, IA 50273
Exquisite historic home in the heart of Winterset just blocks from the bustling downtown square. If you love a quality historic home, this one is for you! This Freestyle Queen Anne Victorian 2-story is sure to impress. The past 2 owners have taken exquisite care of this gem. You will love the original woodwork hard floors, leaded glass and character! A front porch greets you as you enter complete with a porch swing! The formal entry is stunning with a main staircase and parquet floors. ...
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 2428 S.E. SIXTH ST., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-10-17
SALE PRICE: $115,000
SELLER: JERRY F MILLER LIVING TRUST
BUYER: REDLINGER, LISA
ACRES: 0.290
SQUARE FEET: 1,528 |
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Featured in the current
issue of Ankeny Living magazine | | | An unforgettable ride
Residents share the joy of their first car.
By Ashley Rullestad
What kids, strapped into the backseats of their parents’ cars, gazing through the gaps between the front seats and watching the road ahead, don’t think how great it will be when they are in the driver’s seat? And not just any driver’s seat, but the seat of their very own car. The power of the machine in their control. The freedom to choose the destination. The total control over the stereo. It’s no wonder people’s memories of their first auto stay vivid, and the stories remain a thrill to be told.
College car
Rick Glynn graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in 1965. He had dreams of going to Iowa State University to become a world-famous architect, but he knew he’d have to save for a year to afford the tuition.
“One of the people who lived across from us was a salesman for Chevy, and he knew I was trying to save money. But I ended up going down to the Howlett Chevrolet showroom, which was small, and there were these flood lights, and sitting there was a 1966 marine blue Chevelle Super Sport.” | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: LeBron, top vote-getter Giannis lead NBA All-Star starters ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: TGL TV Ratings Take Significant Fall Week After Tiger Woods’s Debut ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell has given birth to a son, misses matchup against No. 7 Texas ... READ MORE |
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2018: Larry Nassar, a former doctor for USA Gymnastics, is sentenced to prison for sexual assault. Larry Nassar, a former doctor at Michigan State and for USA Gymnastics, is sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexual assault on January 24, 2018. Nassar was found guilty of using his position in sports medicine to abuse hundreds of women and girls in one of the most high-profile cases to arise from the #MeToo movement. ...READ MORE
1935: First canned beer goes on sale. Canned beer makes its debut on January 24, 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger’s Finest Beer and Krueger’s Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production. ... READ MORE
1972: Japanese soldier found hiding on Guam. On January 24, 1972, local farmers on Guam discover Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese sergeant who fought in World War II, still hiding in the jungle—26 years after the official end of the war. Japanese soldiers had been trained that death was preferred to the disgrace of being captured alive. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday to David Boberg today and Neil Hyde Saturday!
These celebrities were born on this date: Neil Diamond, Aaron Neville, Yakov Smirnoff, Phil Lamarr, Mary Lou Retton, Matthew Lillard, Ed Helms, Tatyana Ali, Keech Rainwater
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle: What do you call a medieval camera? Sir Veillance! Or, A Canon (cannon)! - Carolyn Rogers. Or, Knight vision cameras! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, kinda bad kinda good camera (MID EVIL)! - Rex Post. Or, A middle-aged brownie! - William Snyder.
Today's riddle: Which ancient civilization wasn’t wiped out by a mass plague?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Winterset Living magazines, contact:
Kristine McDonald
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 321
Mobile: C: 515-975-3543
kristine@iowalivingmagazines.com
Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery.
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