Welcome to an extra 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.
“When I was 7, my granddad was dying from lung cancer (Smoking disparities, Nov. 20, 2024). Two packs a day starting at age 14 had resulted in doctors slicing him open (it was 1969) and removing one lung and part of another to try to save him. Just home from the hospital, he sat me on his knee and lifted his shirt and showed me the railroad track of stitches that stretched 90% of the way around his mid-section and said, ‘This is what smoking did to me.’ Never took a puff.” - Brad
More people should have sat on your granddad’s knee. - Shane
“I am old enough to remember when one could smoke almost anywhere — in stores, on the train or bus, even on airplanes (Smoking disparities, Nov. 20, 2024). Free cigarettes were often given out at public events by the ‘cigarette girl.’ My aunts and uncles all smoked, but my dad smoked cigars while my mom didn’t smoke at all. Ironically, it was mom who died from lung cancer. Dad died from a heart attack at age 57 and didn’t live long enough to get cancer. I started smoking while I was in college and continued to smoke while in the Air Force. Of course, with no taxes, a carton of Marlboros at the PX was only $5 or so. A carton of American cigarettes was great bartering material overseas where most of the American brands on the local markets were counterfeit. After I was discharged and went to graduate school, I quit because I could no longer afford cigarettes on my meager GI bill benefits with a wife and child to support.” - Bill
We once joked about having a Smoke Fest event to sample cigarettes. A half-century ago, that may have actually happened. - Shane
“I completely agree with your thoughts on smoking (Smoking disparities, Nov. 20, 2024), especially this part, ‘... I inhaled more secondhand smoke as a child than some smokers do in a lifetime. I despised smoking. I still do.’ I have a mother who smoked all through my childhood and continues to do so today. It has caused multiple health problems for her, including a massive stroke a couple of years ago. She was in the hospital so long that she technically quit smoking. Every doctor she/we met with said smoking caused the stroke and she needed to refrain from smoking. But, she started up again, and it seems nothing will convince her to stop. It has caused a rift between her and us as her children, but she's made her choice.” - Nick
Choices, unfortunately, do have consequences. Even so, I hope you can reconnect with her before it is too late. And what better time to do so than Thanksgiving Day? - Shane
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and 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: Meet the people running Iowa's new Cold Case Unit and a family hoping for answers. A few high-profile murders tend to grab the headlines, but more than 400 Iowa families are waiting for answers in the death of a loved one. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Man shot, killed by DMPD officers was holding a pellet gun, police say. DES MOINES, Iowa — Police say the 70-year-old man shot and killed by Des Moines police officers Tuesday morning was armed with a pellet gun. ...READ MORE
FROM WOI: As homeless ordinances near, Des Moines removes camp on north side of the city. The city of Des Moines posted a notice of the camp removal at Riverview Park on Nov. 1.....READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Cold air moves in today. The chill sticks around into next week. Flurries are possible late Saturday. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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Call for Artists. M/A/S/S (part of the Mainframe Studios creative universe) announces its open call for its forthcoming group photography exhibit. For consideration, email no more than 5 low res (under 1 mb) examples of your finest color photography to info@massdsm.org by midnight Nov 30. Accepted entries will be notified by Dec 7. For complete information about fees if accepted and other details, visit here.
Java Joes (127 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny). Broadway Karaoke – Nextgen. Nov. 30, 1 p.m.
Temple Theatre – Des Moines Performing Arts. Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End. Dec. 3-21.
Auditions galore:
The Arts is a contact sport — consider being onstage. (If being onstage isn't your thing, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities behind the scenes. Each of these companies has such opportunities to engage.)
• Ankeny Community Theatre. "Harvey." Sunday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m.
• Vagrant Fear Theatre. "To Hell and Back." Dec. 8, 6 p.m. at Kirkendall Library, Ankeny. Vagrant Fear is gearing up for another play in February. Paid gig. Horror/love combo. New script, locally written.
• Tallgrass Theatre Company. "Ripcord" Monday, Dec. 9, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
• Des Moines Playhouse. "Jesus Christ Superstar." Monday, Dec. 9, 6 p.m.
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | FILM PREVIEWS: “Here”
PG-13 | 104 minutes
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Eric Roth, Robert Zemeckis, Richard McGuire
Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany
By David Rowley
“Here” is an upcoming movie adaptation of the graphic novel by Richard McGuire. The story ambitiously explores a single location over generations, moving fluidly through time to capture countless events, people and emotions that unfold in one specific room. Through vignettes that capture everything from a family’s memories to the very first inhabitants of the land, “Here” weaves a tapestry of history, humanity and timeless connection. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, the film promises to be a reflective, visually stunning exploration of time, place and memory, offering audiences a meditative experience on the passage of life. .. | | | READ MORE |
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Indian American women finished runners-up in both the Republican presidential primary and the general election. Other Indian Americans, like Vivek and Apoorva Ramaswamy and Usha Vance, captured a lot of limelight during the elections because of their exceptional talents. Still others have won recent Nobel Prizes in medicine, physics and economics. More have been named CEOs: PepsiCo, Microsoft, Google, Alphabet, Mastercard, Citigroup, Twitter, Adobe, Oracle and Sun Microsystems.
Are these outliers or are Indian Americans re-imagining this country? And what is their secret to success? Some random stats from Wall Street Journal suggest answers: Indian-Americans have the highest median household incomes in the U.S. by ethnic group, almost twice that of white households and three times that of black households. Two-thirds have college degrees and 40% have post grad degrees. They have the lowest divorce rate of any ethnic group in the country and own 60% of all American hotels. One in every 20 doctors in the USA is Indian, as is 1 in every 10 students entering medical school.
Deals today
Who is even open today? C Fresh Market will be open on Thanksgiving day from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Cash Savers will be open 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dollar General will be open at most locations from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market will be open 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Price Choppers will be open 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Whole Foods will be open 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. Gateway Market, Hy-Vee, Fareway, Natural Grocers, and Trader Joe’s will all be closed.
On the restaurant front, Proudfoot & Bird, Mulberry Street Tavern, Fleming's, Ruth's Chris, Bravo, AJ's, Opa!, Filet and Hibachi Supreme Buffet will be open.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Daycare
1. Generation Next Child Development Center and Preschool
2. Grace Preschool
3. Vine Street Child Care
Cast your votes in the 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll now! Open until Nov. 22. Results to be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$265,000 706 Tyler St. Polk City, IA 50226
This is a ONE owner home! The family lived here for over 68 years! When entering into the side entrance, you have a huge great room that opens into the kitchen and a slider to the backyard. Open floor plan. There is another living room, bathroom and 2 bedrooms. ...
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 4200 GRAND AVE., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-08-20
SALE PRICE: $4,200,000
SELLER: ACADIAN-INGERSOLL LLC
BUYER: 4200 GRAND 74 LLC
ACRES: 1.928
SQUARE FEET: 41,850 |
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Featured in the current
issue of West Des Moines - Jordan Creek Living magazine | | | On the map
Landmarks add to the community’s character.
By Jackie Wilson
During the summers, Valley Junction hosts a weekly farmers market and concert series, Music in the Junction. Next time you’re enjoying the music or dancing, take a close look at the plaque. The stage area is called the Jack Rogers Pavilion.
Who is Jack Rogers? According to his youngest son, Matt Rogers, Jack served as West Des Moines’s city attorney. He joined the city in 1962 and served under eight mayors and three city managers, resigning at age 64. Family members wanted to name a street after him; however, the city had stopped doing so. Instead, it was suggested to a structure in his honor.
Jack’s legacy was helping draft the city’s zoning policy, which lead to office parks that required a set amount of green space. Billboards were only allowed a certain height to keep up with city aesthetics.... | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: QB Daniel Jones signing with Vikings after Giants exit ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Report: LIV Golf Closing in on Greg Norman's Successor to Lead League ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: 2024 Thanksgiving Day football games: How to watch the NFL's Thursday slate ... READ MORE |
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1520: Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Pacific.After sailing through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan enters the Pacific Ocean with three ships, becoming the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic. … READ MORE
1994: Jeffrey Dahmer murdered in prison. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, serving 15 consecutive life sentences for the brutal murders of 15 men, is beaten to death by a fellow inmate while performing cleaning duty in a bathroom at the Columbia Correctional Institute gymnasium in Portage, Wisconsin. … READ MORE
1979: Plane crashes over Antarctica. A New Zealand sightseeing plane traveling over Antarctica crashes, killing all 257 people on board, on November 28, 1979. It was the worst airplane accident in New Zealand’s history. … READ MORE
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| Road closings | | | Monday, Dec. 2: E Grand Avenue, Des Moines, from E 19th Street to E 20th Court will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for railroad crossing repair. Detour will be posted using E 18th Street, Dean Avenue, and E 26th Street.
Monday, Dec. 2 - Friday, Dec. 6: Eastbound Guthrie Avenue, Des Moines, from E 17th Street to Moss Drive will be closed for utility work. Detour will be posted using Dixon Street, Euclid Avenue, and Delaware Avenue. Westbound traffic will be maintained. Expect delays.
Monday, Dec. 2 - Thursday, Dec. 5: Water Street, Des Moines, from Court Avenue to Vine Street will be closed for utility work. Expect Delays
Monday, Dec. 2, lasting for three years: E 38th Street from Sage Street to NE 54th Avenue will be closed for the next three years for bridge reconstruction. A detour will be posted using NE 54th Avenue, NE 29th Street, and E Broadway Avenue. |
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| Weekly fuel report | | | The price of regular unleaded gasoline held steady, averaging $2.75 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices are down 14 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.07, steady from last week’s price.
Retail diesel prices in Iowa were unchanged this week with a statewide average of $3.30. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.10 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 25 cents lower than the national average of $3.55.
Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
Natural gas prices rose 27 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.47/MMbtu.
Propane prices averaged $1.54 per gallon in Iowa.
Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $2.82 per gallon. |
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday: Tyler Tompkins!
These celebrities were born on this date: Trey Songz, Karen Gillan, Bryshere Gray, Alan Ritchson, Jake Miller, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Paul Russell, Berry Gordy Jr., Joe Cole, Chase Elliott, Randy Newman, Jon Stewart, Adam Hick, Shane Harte
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle: Why couldn’t the cranberry go to the Thanksgiving party? It was bogged down! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, Because it was sauced! William Snyder
Today's riddle: When does Thanksgiving bread rise?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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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
©Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc., all rights reserved.
www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com.
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