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Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Good morning to you!

“I’m a boy and I’m a man — I’m eighteen and I like it!” Those are the words from the Alice Cooper band’s 1970 rock hit entitled, “I’m Eighteen.” I can hear the music coming from my brother’s 8-track home stereo like it was yesterday. The song details the anxiety that comes with being in the midst of childhood and adulthood that most any 18-year-old boy can relate to.

But, why 18? What’s so special about that number that makes it the determining age for many activities? And, if it truly is a special number, then why isn’t it used uniformly for every other age-requirement? In this time of most everyone being a victim, 18-year-olds clearly need to cry out.

Most of us know that a person must be 18 to vote in elections. Fair enough.

We also know that males at age 18 can be drafted into the Armed Forces. So, in today’s world, is this is not only age discrimination but sex discrimination, too?

In Iowa, one must be 18 to legally marry. Although, with parental consent and judicial approval, a person can marry at 16.

Iowans must be at least 18 years old to receive a tattoo without parental consent.

If you are following along, our 18-year-olds can vote, be drafted, marry and get a tattoo.

How about getting a license to drive? Well, that can be done a few years earlier than 18. Sixteen, officially, and even younger to obtain learners permits. You just can’t be 16 and drive with a tattoo.

Lots of things change at age 21, though. Three years apparently makes quite a difference in the mental growth of young people during that time. A 21-year-old can now legally purchase and consume alcohol and can also purchase or use tobacco products. That includes vaping. People this age can also legally rent a car that they were able to legally drive for five years prior — but they will have to pay higher fees than those age 25 or older. Yes, car rental companies (and insurance companies) can discriminate based on age, but they only do so for younger people. Ninety-five-year-old drivers are not a risk, apparently.

But what if you are an 18-year-old and want to run for president of the United States? Sorry, you will have to wait until you nearly double your life span, as the president must be 35 years old.

The Alice Cooper band continues: “I got a baby's brain and an old man's heart. Took eighteen years to get this far. Don't always know what I'm talkin' about. Feels like I'm livin' in the middle of doubt.” With all the age disparity in our local, state and federal rules and regulations, can you blame them?

Have a terrific Tuesday, 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 more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

 
 
News headlines

FROM KCCI: Iowa Catholic diocese to raise private school tuition next year. Many private Catholic schools across Iowa are raising tuition by 10% next school year. It's the first phase of several planned tuition increases, according to the Diocese of Des Moines.    ...READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Suspect in 1983 cold case murder returned to Iowa. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A man accused of a 1983 murder in Sioux City has been returned to Iowa. Officials said 62-year-old Thomas Popp was booked into the Woodbury County Jail on a $3 million bond after being extradited from Washington state. Popp is accused of killing 18-year-old Terri McCauley who died back in 1983. ...READ MORE

FROM WOI: Iowa State University rescinds acceptance letters for prospective graduate students. According to Iowa State, several of its academic units are in the process of reviewing graduate student offers and apprenticeships. ...READ MORE

 

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Cooling briefly today, then another warming trend into a breezy Friday. Storms late Friday, then rain lingers Saturday with snowflakes possible.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

 
The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®
 

Best Local Delicatessen

1. Manhattan Deli

2. Palmer’s Deli

3. Maccabee’s Kosher Deli

 
See all of the results
 
 

Tuesday touts, Turkey time
The Ottoman Empire lasted from the 14th century until 1923. From a strictly culinarian point of view, only the Roman Empire and Qing Dynasty rivaled it in culinary development and sophistication. Those three were creating classical cuisines while the French were still subsisting on acorn gruel and while the English and Germans considered high cuisine to be a dead animal and a bonfire. Today's visitors to Topkapi Palace are told that, when the sultans ruled there, more than 10,000 chefs were employed and trained for high level jobs. And about "Greek food is poor man's Turkish cuisine." Today's Turkish cuisine derived from Topkapi under the rule of the sultans, particularly Mehmet II. 

Enjoy it now: Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery at 3281 100th St. in Urbandale is the metro's first Turkish cafe open seven days a week for breakfast lunch and dinner. The Turkish Cookbook by Musa Dagdeviren ($54.95, Phaidon 100) is the most comprehensive book we have seen on Turkish cuisine with 512 pages and 550 recipes plus history and commentary.

Morg's Cafe, Waterloo's beloved breakfast joint on Lincoln Park, celebrated its 65th anniversary over the weekend. 

Deals today
• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Tuesday special hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and drink for $13.50 till Memorial Day. 
• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers live lobsters at half price on Tuesdays. 
• Opa! (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a buffet featuring fried shrimp, manicotti, chicken piccata, chicken meatballs, garlic knots, pasta alfredo, lamb and chicken, pizza and all-you-can-eat dessert for $22.99 tonight till 8 p.m.
• Taco Tuesday brings serious discounts to Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines), La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), all Taco John's, The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines), all Abelardo's, all Fernando’s, Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines), Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines), Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) and Faustino’s (4944 Franklin Ave., Des Moines). 
• Today is beef and noodles day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines).
• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) has happy hour all night Tuesdays. That means super deals on oysters, shrimp, duck frites, poutine, charcuterie, cheese boards, beers, wine and classic martinis.
• GoodSons (2821 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) hosts Is It an Egg? tonight. That's a trivia event with musical highlights. 
• Sully's (806 First St., West Des Moines) has a burger basket special for $12 today.
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a tenderloin Tuesday special with BPT and fries for $10.
• All Jethro’s have a Tuesday special Buy One, Get One deal on a pound of their smoked and fried bone-in wings. 
• DSM Irish Session plays Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery, Ankeny, tonight at 7 p.m.
 

 — Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

 
 
Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW
 

BUSINESS FEATURE
A changing downtown landscape

By Gunner Onkst

Downtown Des Moines is changing, especially in regard to how people work. Before the pandemic, it was apparent that Des Moines was a hub of office buildings full of workers, many of them commuters, who created a vibrant community supporting a variety of businesses. When the pandemic set in, many employees began to work remotely, businesses cut back on office space, and some long-standing businesses closed downtown.

However, signs of recovery exist. According to the Greater Des Moines Partnership, daytime foot traffic saw an increase by 7% in 2024, which outperforms the national average in terms of recovering from the pandemic. Although signs of recovery can be seen, the downtown business district remains changed.

 
Read more
 
Featured home for sale
 
Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.
 
$391,000

632 34th Ave. S.W.
Altoona, IA 50009

Discover the stunning Emerson Ranch by Greenland Homes, nestled in the highly sought-after Prairie Landing community in Altoona, within the SE Polk School District. This thoughtfully designed home features three spacious bedrooms and two full bathrooms, offering a perfect blend of comfort and style....

 
See the listing here.
 
See More Homes For Sale
 
SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction
 
4418 DOUGLAS AVE., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-11-20
SALE PRICE: $148,000
SELLER: RIORDAN PET HOSPITAL PC
BUYER: SMS LLC
ACRES: 0.364
SQUARE FEET: 2,437
 
More transactions
 
Featured in the current
issue of Grimes/Dallas Center Living magazine
 

Meet Madison Nanke
New teacher to North Ridge says DCG is like home.

By Ashley Rullestad

Madison Nanke started her career in 2021 teaching third grade in Panora. This year, she moved to North Ridge Elementary to teach fourth grade at DCG.

“Over the summer, I got engaged and was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach fourth grade at North Ridge, where my fiancé was once a student and is a proud DCG alum. I grew up in Johnston, and I feel so lucky to be teaching in a community that feels like home.”

Nanke has had a love for school and learning since she was young, and she’s known from she wanted to be a teacher. For her, teaching is about the opportunity to make a positive impact in students' lives. Building relationships and watching students grow as learners and as individuals is rewarding, she says.

 
READ MORE
 
Sports headlines
FROM ESPN.COM: New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to have Tommy John surgery   ... READ MORE
 
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Saints Re-Signing DE Chase Young to Big Three-Year Deal   ... READ MORE
 
FROM Yahoo Sports: Luka Dončić's triple-double not enough for Lakers in loss to 12th-place Nets   ... READ MORE
 

2011: Fukushima nuclear disaster. On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan causes massive devastation, and the ensuing tsunami decimates the Tōhoku region of northeastern Honshu. On top of the already-horrific destruction and loss of life, the natural disaster also gives rise to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The Fukushima disaster is considered the second-worst nuclear disaster in history, forcing the relocation of over 100,000 people.  ...READ MORE

2020: President Trump addresses the nation on COVID‑19; announces travel ban. In a primetime Oval Office address, President Donald Trump announces a 30-day travel ban on foreign travel to the U.S. from most European countries as COVID-19 cases surge across the globe.  ... READ MORE

1888: Great Blizzard of ’88 hits East Coast. On March 11, 1888, one of the worst blizzards in American history strikes the Northeast, killing more than 400 people and dumping as much as 55 inches of snow in some areas. New York City ground to a near halt in the face of massive snow drifts and powerful winds from the storm. At the time, approximately one in every four Americans lived in the area between Washington, D.C. and Maine, the area affected by the Great Blizzard of 1888.  ... READ MORE

 
 
Birthdays and notables
 

These celebrities were born on this date:   Bobby McFerrin, Valarie Pettiford, Alex Kingston, Lisa Loeb, Terrence Howard, Miranda Pak, Anthony Davis, Madison Brydges, Jude Demorest; Johnny Knoxville, Jodie Comer, Didier Drogba

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

 
Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: Why did zookeepers name the new arctic wolf "Frost"? BECAUSE FROST BITES! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, He was snow white! -Irving Stone. Or, Because the new wolf was getting a "chilly" reception! - Carolyn Rogers.

Today's riddle: Why should you never use the word "veranda" as an expletive?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Johnston Living magazine, contact:

Andrea Hodapp
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 322
Mobile: 515-883-0523
andrea@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

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