May 8 Daily Umbrella: No new pope yet; when Tiny Tim was in Des Moines; lights on the ark?

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Good morning to you!

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.

“Hey, Shane. I used to take a solo motorcycle trip on vacation every year with no planning in advance (Nativism or noveltism, April 28, 2025). I always had the most fun doing it that way as I always met the most interesting people and found the best places to stay, eat, have a beer, etc. On one trip to Arkansas, it rained every day, but I met many angels who were put in my path to help me make it one of the best trips ever. They are out there, and they will be put in your path to make it memorable, not necessarily to make it fun. I say, try a trip with no plans and see what happens!” - James

That sounds like a good plan. - Shane

“Shane, please get ahold of yourself before this turns into ‘Which is better, catsup or mustard on hot dogs?’(The pizza topping debate, April 29, 2025)." - James

The answer is catsup, or, preferably, ketchup. - Shane

“You did not mention a local favorite, and mine (The pizza topping debate, April 29, 2025)! Canadian bacon and sauerkraut. A little tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella, and you have a pizza people have no problem traveling to enjoy. Don't knock it till you try it! J's Pizza and Steakhouse is always packed on Throwback Thursdays. Pizzas are hand-tossed and cut in squares vs. triangles the other days of the week. Maybe it’s a geometric thing?” - Diane

I have not yet tried this, but I am going to now. - Shane

“Shane, I grew up in a small subdivision outside of my hometown in Illinois. We had a pole with a full-size school bell in the backyard (The supper bell, April 30, 2025). Both of my parents were educators. The sound of that bell always indicated that it was time for me to come home. The neighborhood knew it, too. I would be on the other side of the pond at a friend's house playing, and when that bell would sound, that side of the neighborhood would yell, ‘Hey, it's time for you to go home.’ I'm not too sure the whereabouts of that bell. We do have the bell that was on my husband's parents’ house, small version. We now have it on our deck. Fond memories. Thanks for your daily musings.” - Sarah

We had a similar church bell in the neighborhood that rang in the evening. If I heard it, I knew I was late, and that was my signal to sprint home. - Shane

“Boy, did you stir up some memories talking about your dinner bell (The supper bell, April 30, 2025). My dad had an antique bell from one of the railroad companies. He mounted it next to the back door of our house and used it much like your parents. I swear, I could be a block away, and I could hear that bell ringing. Nowadays, most parents just text their kids when it’s time to come home. I prefer the old-fashioned bell!” - Kevin

I wonder what today’s kids would think if they heard a bell ringing? - Shane

Have a thoughtful Thursday, 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: Black smoke signals no new pope yet as Vatican cardinals conclude first round vote. Black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, signaling that no pope had been elected as 133 cardinals opened the secretive, centuries-old ritual to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Trump’s CPB cuts impact Iowa PBS and Iowa Public Radio. Another executive order is impacting groups here in Iowa. Last week, the Trump administration instructed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR and PBS. The two broadcasters are allotted over half a billion dollars in public money from CPB. Trump’s order in part says, “what does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines man charged with criminal mischief in Little Walnut Creek diesel spill. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man who they believe intentionally spilled 4,000 gallons of diesel into an agricultural site near Dallas Center. Aaron Wayne Peek, 36, is charged with theft, criminal mischief and trespassing. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Warm and dry conditions persist. A great weekend ahead!

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

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: Very high

Grass pollen: Moderate

Ragweed pollen: None

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

Best Local Liquor Store

1. Wall to Wall Wine & Spirits

2. Ingersoll Wine & Spirits

3. Central City Liquors

See all of the results

Climbing Kites, Des Moines THC beverage company, won six awards in all six categories they entered at L.A. High Spirits Awards. Transfusion, a caffeine boost with THC, won the Platinum, the competition’s highest honor. Other wins include Silver for Orange Mango and Pineapple Passionfruit and Bronze for Mixed Berry, Peach Prickly Pear and Iced Tea Lemonade.

Wheatsfield Co-op in Ames offers a hands-on class on growing microgreens today, 6 p.m., $12-15.

Cheese Shop's next wine class May 15 will feature Australian wines from Worlds Apart. Louis Schofield created Worlds Apart Wines in 2017 and will be in Des Moines for the class. $70 per person for wines and noshes. Reservations, 515-528-8181.

Deals today
• Ruth's Chris (Ashworth Road at Jordan Creek Parkway) has a Thursday special with their decadent RBAR burgers going for $16.

• Steak specials: Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines); Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive); Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola), and Hy-Vee Market Grilles. Gilroy's has both sirloin and NY strip specials. The Station on Ingersoll (3120 Ingersoll Ave.) has a ribeye special on Thursdays.

• 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.

• Jethro's Thursday special is a pound of boneless "wings" for $8.

• Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special of beef stew and cornbread Thursdays for $13.

• Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) offers an all-you-can-eat dosa (gram/rice flour crepes) buffet on Thursdays 5:30-9 p.m. $18.95.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a "Comfort Thursday" special chicken fried De Burgo, a gluten free spin on DSM's classic. $16

• The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) has a throwback Thursday special goulash with garlic toast.

• Aldi is selling pork bellies for $3.29/pound, blueberries for $2.49/pint and chicken thighs for $2.49 through Tuesday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

DES MOINES FORGOTTEN
When Tiny Tim was in Des Moines

By Kristian Day

I am writing this on the Monday following Record Store Day weekend, and, with all honesty, I didn’t indulge this year. I’m already sitting on more than 2,000 LPs, which is enough wax to clog the arteries of a medium-sized city. Instead, I decided to spin some records Saturday morning by digging through my own shelves to find a few oddities I haven’t played recently, and one of those was “God Bless Tiny Tim” from 1968. I blasted that ukelele-shredding, mutant-falsetto voice as loud as I could without having my neighbors call the authorities. ...

Featured home for sale

Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.

$425,000

2117 330th St.
Madrid, IA 50156

Here is the acreage you have been looking for! 5.3 acres that is on popular High Trestle Trail! Adorable log cabin home with an open concept. Large master bedroom on the main level and another large bedroom/bonus room upstairs. This home has been so well maintained with a whole home generator. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

4900 UNIVERSITY AVE., WEST DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-12-31
SALE PRICE: $11,800,000
SELLER: THREE FOUNTAINS I LLC
BUYER: NGL BRISTOL RE LLC
ACRES: 17.136
SQUARE FEET: 163,196

More transactions

Featured in the current
issue of Urbandale Living magazine

Meet Mirela Enderton
Helping students shine

By Rachel Harrington

The Urbandale School District has been Mirela Enderton’s work home for the last 15 years. She began working with Urbandale schools at Olmstead Elementary School. When the schools went through building changes, she shifted to Karen Acres as a classroom teacher, spending the majority of her years teaching fifth grade. In 2021, she accepted a new position as Elementary Social Emotional Behavior Mental Health Specialist serving all elementary buildings in Urbandale. This year is her first year as a school counselor.

“Working in the education field was more of a calling than it was an inspiration from a single event,” Mirela shares. “I actually started my career path in nursing, seeking to make a difference in the medical field. But there was something missing there. I remember opening a college program catalog to try to determine my next steps, and the first page that it opened to was elementary education. I know it doesn’t seem like an exciting way to start a new adventure, but it felt right. I could support kids from the beginning, making a difference in their lives from the very start. I’ve never turned back.” ...

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Steph Curry to Miss Game 2 vs. Timberwolves With Hamstring Strain. The Golden State Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals series vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night after he suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1, ESPN's Shams Charania reported. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN.COM: Cowboys trade for Steelers WR George Pickens. The Dallas Cowboys' search for a No. 2 wide receiver opposite Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb has landed them George Pickens. The Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a trade Wednesday that will send Pickens to Dallas for a 2026 third-round pick. The Cowboys will also send a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Steelers and get back a 2027 sixth-round pick. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: President Trump planning to create commission on college sports to address issues ailing industry. For years now, college sports leaders journeyed to the nation’s capital by the dozens to lobby for congressional help. Soon, the White House may step in. ... READ MORE

Weekly fuel report

The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 5 cents, averaging $2.92 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices and are down 36 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.15, down cents from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 5 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.29. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.70 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 25 cents lower than the national average of $3.54.

Natural gas prices were up $.32 at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.64 MMbtu.

Cheapest fuel in the metro. www.gasbuddy.com

Sam's Club in Ankeny (4625 S.E. Delaware Ave.) - $2.63

Murphy USA in Altoona (3405 8th St. S.W.) - $2.64

Costco in Ankeny (4000 N.E. Spectrum Drive) - $2.64

Quick Trip, Kwik Stars, Des Moines - $2.64

1864: General Lee’s army beats Grant’s Union troops to Spotsylvania, On May 8, 1864, Yankee troops arrive at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, to find the Rebels already there. After the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-6), Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Potomac marched south in the drive to take Richmond. Grant hoped to control the strategic crossroads at Spotsylvania Court House, so he could draw Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia into open ground.. ... READ MORE

1945: Allied nations worldwide celebrate V-E Day, On May 8, 1945, Great Britain, the United States and other Allied countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in the U.S., U.K., and Western Europe, along with in the Soviet Union, Canada and Australia put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II. ... READ MORE

1970: Nixon defends invasion of Cambodia, President Nixon, at a news conference, defends the U.S. troop movement into Cambodia, saying the operation would provide six to eight months of time for training South Vietnamese forces and thus would shorten the war for Americans. Nixon reaffirmed his promise to withdraw 150,000 American soldiers by the following spring. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: David Attenborough, Oliver Bearman, Ethan Wacker, Enrique Iglesias, Desmond Dennis, Stephen Amell, Matthew Davis, Corey Mylchreest, Adam Huber, Aiden Arthur, Anthony Field, Melissa Gilbert, Kemba Walker

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

The answer to the last riddle: Which vegetable did Noah leave off the ark? LEEKS! - Rex Post, Gail Tomlinson. Or, ark-i-chokes! - Diane Mergens

Today's riddle: What kind of lights were on the ark?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or West Des Moines/Jordan Creek, Waukee or Norwalk Living magazines, contact:

Martha Munro
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 314
Mobile: 515-321-5246
martha@iowalivingmagazines.com

Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE!

This email was sent to: email@example.com

Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc.
8101 Birchwood Ct Suite D
Johnston, Iowa 50131

Edit Profile

Unsubscribe

Report as Spam