April 30 Daily Umbrella: Bodies recovered from Missouri River; no grill required; the supper bell

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Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Good morning to you!

It was a silver handbell, only 4 or 5 inches tall with a black handle, but it made quite a noise — and it had quite an impact. Mom used it every day in our childhood home.

She would step out onto the front stoop in the evening and ring this bell for a few seconds with all her might. My siblings and I would be playing in the neighborhood and knew this was her signal for us to get home for supper — and she better not have to ring it twice.

This was a tradition I assume Mom inherited from her days growing up on the farm when a bell was used to call workers in from the field for meals. Mom would tell stories of her and her sisters working all morning with their mother to make sure a full meal — complete with pies — was ready for lunchtime. A hot stove. A small kitchen. No AC. And every food made from scratch. Times certainly changed, but the ringing of the bell carried on through generations.

Some of the bells on farms were large and often rung by pulling ropes, alerting those from miles away. They were serious business, and not just to announce that food was ready. They also signaled emergencies and even deaths. Imagine no cell phones or pagers or two-way radios. This was the sole communication device. Some families even developed ring patterns to deliver specific messages. They were the first ringtones, you might say.

Bells were not to be played with. I have heard those in past generations talk about the temptation to ring the bells as a kid, but they knew better — or they learned the hard way.

These bells weren’t just for country folk. They were used in town, too. Owners of some cafes were known to ring a bell to notify customers that they were open.

I used to think Mom’s handbell-ringing was unique to our family, until my wife dug her family’s bell out of a box. It looked just like my mom’s, except it was brass. We used Jolene’s family bell intermittently with our own kids, but they rarely left the yard, unlike my buddies and me who were typically out of sight, roaming the neighborhood.

Since Jolene and I both grew up responding to that familiar ring, I assume many of you experienced the dinner bell (or supper bell, as we called it), too. If so, send me a note and share your stories.

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 more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: Two female bodies recovered from Missouri River along Iowa border.Two female bodies were recovered at NP Dodge Park on Tuesday, according to officials. Laiana Green, Lah K Tray Moo and Eh Cress Moo were swept away while fishing April 15. Family said Ehtheyu Paw was able to make it back to shore. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Iowa lawmakers change ‘bullying’ definition for schools. What Iowa Republicans are calling a ‘cleanup’ to Iowa code is now eligible to be signed into law. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: 'Humbled' Rep. Ashley Hinson says she will not pursue gubernatorial bid. Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson will not be running for Iowa governor in 2026, she said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Rain chances return today through Friday. The weekend looks awesome!

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

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: High

Grass pollen: Low

Ragweed pollen: None

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

Best Local Record Store

1. Jay’s CD & Hobby

2. Zzz Records

3. Marv’s Record Shop

See all of the results

Woebegone Wednesday
We are not making this up. To fill the needs of consumers who want to pretend to be outdoors without having to actually go outdoors this summer, Miller Lite and Pringles announced they were partnering on "two brand-new crisps that encapsulate classic warm-weather flavors with no grill required. Beer Can Chicken and Grilled Beer Brat-flavored Pringles are headed to a grocery store near you."

The Chefs and Writers Pub Crawl of Des Moines was created by Bryce Miller, Lee Rood, George Formaro and myself in 2018 and was discontinued because of the virus from Wu Han in 2020. Recently, Bryce and regular member John Domini both passed away, and it seems like time to revive our noble intentions to promote dive bar delights and food talk on their behalf. We intend to begin again on June 1. All media and food industry people are welcome. Details of the revival crawl will be posted soon in the Daily Umbrella and on the DSM Dining Discoveries page on Facebook.

Bargains today

• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) Wednesday special is AYCE buttermilk fried chicken with coleslaw, garlic green beans, Parmesan scalloped potatoes and buttermilk biscuits with whipped butter and honey for $21.99. Live music on the patio 6-9 p.m.

• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston).

• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.

• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free.

• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.

• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday.

• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers a four course $60 dinner for two on Wednesdays with four choices each of apps and entrees.

• Kids eat free with every paying adult on Wednesdays at Chuck’s (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines).

• Rangemasters Training Center (10520 Hickman Road, Clive) has a Wednesday ladies day special of $13 per person for live firing range and one target. $10 handgun rentals or BYOG.

• Bordanaro's (6108 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday-Thursday only special on carryout pizza. They start at $6.50 for a 10-inch cheese pie. Each ingredient added is an extra charge, but this pretty much adds up to half-price pies.

• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines), breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St.), and barbecue ribs evening at G Migg's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction).

• Panka Peruvian (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has live jazz Wednesday.

• Curbin Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor, Ankeny) has $7 gyros on Wednesdays.

• Jethro's offers breaded pork tenderloins for $9.99 on Wednesdays

• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St.) has a weekly deal on pork Delmonico served with parsnip purée, green beans, a tangy Carolina-style BBQ gastrique, and tomatillo relish. $18 at lunch and $24 at dinner through Saturday.

• Price Chopper has a sale on avocados $2.99/2-pound bag, frozen catfish nuggets at $2.29/pound and mandarins at $2.99/3-pound bag, through Monday.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) offers half priced wine, all bottles and glasses, on Wednesdays.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale today on Haas avocados at $2.99 for six, limes at 50 cents, and jumbo 16-20 shrimp at $4.99/pound.

• Waterfront's Wednesday special is monkfish, the poor man's lobster.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

FOOD DUDE
Chicago Speakeasy is an ode to comfort

By Jim Duncan

The year was 1978, a most Dickensian time. A murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, ended 909 American lives while Israel and Egypt were finding accord at Camp David, Maryland. Argentina won its first World Cup after Peru’s national team laid down and allowed six Argentine goals in a strange group stage semifinal, just enough to keep Brazil from moving on in Argentina’s favor. Brazil broke off diplomatic ties with Peru. Many World Cup rules were changed. “Grease” was the most popular movie in every country on Earth. The Super Bowl moved into prime time, Carol Burnett retired her TV show, and SNL debuted “The Blues Brothers.”

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Featured in the current
issue of Norwalk Living magazine

Homes away from home
Local families share experiences hosting foreign exchange students.

By Rachel Harrington

The decision to host a foreign exchange student can come with a myriad of worries. Will the student want to eat the food we make? Will everyone get along? How will we keep the student entertained? Will he or she get homesick? However, many of those who decide to give it a try find their fears to be unfounded as they gain an appreciation of the student’s homeland and culture, see their own country from a new perspective and build bonds that endure. Local residents share their stories about the adventure of being a host family.

Students from many countries
Heidi and Todd Lackmann’s global experiences began when they both lived overseas as young adults. Because they enjoyed the international experiences they had, they wanted to bring the world back home. They first hosted a foreign exchange student, Kym (Quebec, Canada), in 2009 when their own children were small.

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had simple six-word update on his injury rehab. The Minnesota Vikings likely won't have to wait long to see how quarterback J.J. McCarthy will fare in his first healthy season under center. After McCarthy suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in his right knee eight months ago, the second-year signal-caller is ready to storm into the league in 2025. As the Vikings start to gear up for their offseason programs this summer, McCarthy spoke about where he stands in his injury recovery timeline in Tuesday's media availability. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN.COM: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers eliminate Milwaukee Bucks. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stole one from the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Indiana forced two turnovers in the final 17 seconds of overtime, and Haliburton blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds left to give the Pacers a 119-118 victory and a 4-1 series win. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Blue Jays CF Daulton Varsho makes season debut with wildest, weirdest catch of the year. Daulton Varsho certainly made a catch on Tuesday. But was it a great catch? Very, very few people could ever flash their glove like the Toronto Blue Jays center fielder did in the seventh inning (video above), but he only needed to do it because he tripped over his own feet on the warning track. It went from being a brutal error to one of the most incredible highlights of the MLB season, with both the culpability and credit on Varsho. ... READ MORE

1789: George Washington gives presidential inaugural address. On April 30, 1789, George Washington is sworn in as the first American president and delivers the first inaugural speech at Federal Hall in New York City. Elements of the ceremony set tradition; presidential inaugurations have deviated little in the two centuries since Washington’s inauguration. ... READ MORE

1803: United States and France complete the Louisiana Purchase. On April 30, 1803, representatives of the United States and Napoleonic France complete negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, a massive land sale that doubles the size of the young American republic. What was known as Louisiana Territory comprised most of modern-day United States between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, with the exceptions of Texas, parts of New Mexico, and other pockets of land already controlled by the United States. A formal treaty for the Louisiana Purchase, antedated to April 30, was signed two days later. ... READ MORE

1993: World Wide Web (WWW) launches in the public domain. On April 30, 1993, four years after publishing a proposal for “an idea of linked information systems,” computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee releases the source code for the world’s first web browser and editor. Originally called Mesh, the browser that he dubbed WorldWideWeb becomes the first royalty-free, easy-to-use means of browsing the emerging information network that developed into the internet as we know it today. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

Happy belated birthday Mark Reno, whose birthday was yesterday!

These celebrities were born on this date: Adrian Pasdar, Brandon Lancaster, Clark Vogeler, Dianna Agron, Isiah Thomas, Kirsten Dunst, Lloyd Banks, Travis Scot, Mac DeMarco, Justin Vernon

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The answer to the last riddle: What’s the best way to get the hospital after breaking your foot? A TOE TRUCK! - Sharon Hill Watkins, Gail Tomlinson and Rex Post. Other answers from William Snyder.

Today's riddle: Did you hear about the guy who was addicted to the hokey pokey?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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