Nov. 5 Daily Umbrella: DM voters approve $265 million school bond; stompers have perks; why did the police officer stop Mom on

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Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Good morning to you!

Vanilla. Lavender. Cinnamon. Eucalyptus. Fresh Linen. Ocean Breeze.

Those are some of the most popular candle scents available today, and they are a drop in the bucket of total candle choices that are available. Out of curiosity, I searched the Yankee Candle website to see how many the company produces. I gave up after viewing the first 100. Yes, candles.

We have come a long way since candles were invented as a light source. Evidence of candle use dates back to ancient civilizations including the Egyptians around 3000 B.C. They made “rushlights” or torches by soaking the pithy core of reeds in melted animal fat — but there was no wick. The Romans developed wicked candles by dipping rolled papyrus in melted tallow or beeswax. Some take the origin of candles back to the prehistoric man’s primitive torches backed by animal fat or beeswax.

I sometimes wonder what life was like prior to electricity. Nighttime was clearly meant for sleeping back then, as it was simply too dark to do much else. Fireplaces kept homes warm and provided light, but they weren’t portable. Candles changed that. Unfortunately, they were also a major cause of fires in many of the wooden structures that were built — and without a lavender scent.

Apparently, candles are now generally broken out into “scent categories” that include floral, citrus, gourmand, woody, spicy and fresh. From the smell of things, they are all in a cabinet in our kitchen right now.

I am not sure how many candles a household needs, but we could supply a village. Don't get me wrong; I do like candles. The warm glow. The modest warmth. And even the enduring scents. They are nice. I prefer the woody or fresh scents. Maybe some citrus.

Of course, some candle scents can be overpowering, too, especially the floral ones. And then there are the flat-out strange scents like damp soil soy wax, bacon and the one I can absolutely do without — monkey farts. Seriously.

On the flip side, the morning coffee scent sounds good. So does bay rum. But dirty hippie? No thanks.

The one thing I am sure of is that we should not buy any more candles until we burn down the ones we have. And, from the looks of our kitchen cabinet, we should be set for a few decades.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday.

Shane Goodman
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: Des Moines voters approve $265 million school bond with overwhelming support. Cheers and applause filled Christopher’s Restaurant in Beaverdale Tuesday night, where supporters of Des Moines Public Schools' bond referendum campaign gathered to watch the results come in. The bond, one of the largest in Iowa history, needed 60% approval to pass. It cleared that bar easily, marking a decisive victory for public education in the state’s largest school district. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Anhydrous ammonia leak prompts shelter-in-place order in Madrid. Madrid residents were asked to shelter in place due to an anhydrous ammonia leak. According to a post on Facebook by Madrid Fire and Rescue, residents on the south side of town were asked to shelter in place at around 7 p.m. due to an anhydrous ammonia leak that was reported just south of town. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Dallas County fails to secure enough votes on a bond funding new courthouse. For the second year in a row, Dallas County has failed to secure enough votes on a bond referendum meant to fund a second courthouse. Only 43.22% of Dallas County voters approved the proposal, well below the 60% threshold needed for the bond to pass, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State's Office. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Israel returns bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza as exchanges outlined in fragile ceasefire proceed. Officials at Gaza’s largest functioning hospital said Wednesday that the bodies of 15 more Palestinians were returned from Israel, as exchanges outlined in last month’s fragile ceasefire continued despite allegations of violations. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Democrats dominate as economic woes take a toll on Trump’s GOP. Takeaways from Election Day 2025. Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump’s inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump’s GOP heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Eagle Grove police searching for teens who broke into high school and stole items. Police in Eagle Grove are trying to identify a group of teenagers who broke into the Eagle Grove High School and stole items. Police say the crime was captured on camera and happened around midnight on Saturday. Eagle Grove Police Chief Mark Hennigar says surveillance video captures the teenagers climbing on the roof and breaking in through a window. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Mild through Friday. Rain chances late Thursday evening and Saturday. A light mix possible Sunday.

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

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: None

Grass pollen: None

Ragweed pollen: Moderate

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

Best Local Health Food Store

1. Campbell’s Nutrition

2. Gateway Market

3. Fresh Fit Meals

See all of the results

Woebegone Wednesday

Fish out of water. We asked Waterfront Seafood Restaurant owner Shawn Hanke what fish just didn't sell in Des Moines over his 42 years there. “Hake, speckled trout and croaker for sure. And West Coast rockfish, aka Pacific snapper, nobody liked them here but they love East Coast rockfish, aka striped bass. Customers here really prefer Alaskan cod over Atlantic cod, and Alaskan king salmon to others.”

Stomping grapes — it's not just for Lucy anymore. Squeezed by tariffs, an oversupply of grapes and unsold wine plus people drinking less, Sonoma Valley winemakers now offer a chance for "campers" to do the grueling jobs of wine harvest without pay. In fact, the campers pay handsomely for the opportunity. Sonoma Valley Grape Camp costs $5,000, or $7,500 for couples. Stompers have perks: The food and lodging are top level and campers can drink from dawn to dusk. (WSJ)

Deals today
• Kids eat free on Wednesday at Short E's BBQ (8805 Chambray Blvd., Johnston).

• Fareway is offering $5 rotisserie chicken on Wednesdays. Other days they cost about $9.

• Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a brisket burnt ends special on Wednesdays.

• The Bistro at Iowa Culinary Institute is open for its fall season in Building 7 of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny. Lunch will be served Wednesdays through Fridays till Dec. 5. $17 for a buffet or three course a la carte with a drink. 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers any burger with a side for $10 on Wednesdays.

• Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays.

• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage.

• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) offers 10 wings for $10 on Wednesdays.

• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day.

• Paula's (524 Elm, Valley Junction) has a Wednesday special beef stew with biscuit $13.50.

• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinners on Wednesdays, $23.99 after 5 p.m.

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

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

• Curbin' Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny) offers traditional gyros for $7 Wednesdays.

• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston). The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) also has half-priced bottles on Wednesdays.

• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a Wednesday special goulash dinner plus salad and garlic bread for $19.25.

• 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.

• Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) and The Station (3124 Ingersoll, Des Moines) have specials on tacos today.

• Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays.

• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) and breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines).

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

• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays.

• Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10.

• On Wednesdays, you can get any burger with fries for $10.99 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale).

• Jethro's have $9.95 BPT sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays.

• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a cheeseburger and fries Wednesday special for $8.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on honeycrisp apples at 99 cents/pound, raspberries or blackberries at two for $5, and navel oranges at $2.99/3-pound bag.

• Price Choppers have sales through Monday on butter at $2.99/pound, swai or pollock frozen filets at $3.49/pound and pumpernickel loaves at $2.99.

• Hy-Vees have a sale through Monday on iceberg lettuce at $1.49, green onions or radishes at 99 cents/bunch and Haagen-Dazs at $3.99/14 ounces.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

JOE'S NEIGHBORHOOD
The Hesitant Traveler’s Travel Guide

By Joe Weeg

“Let’s go to Vienna!” “Let’s go to Sarajevo!” “Let’s go to Belfast!”… says my wife.

And my go-to response? The very first loving words out of my mouth? Are…

“NOOOOOOOOO WAY!”

You see, my wife wants to see the world. I get it. We spent all our working years and kid-raising years never leaving Iowa (except for her stint with the UN in The Hague — which counts for something, doesn’t it?). Now that we are old, she wants to make up for lost time by going to see museums and castles and cafes and vineyards and mountains and oceans and the Eiffel Tower sparkle with lights.

Nope. Not for me. ...

Featured home for sale

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SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

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SALE DATE: 2025-06-19
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ACRES: 0.319
SQUARE FEET: 17,136

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Featured in the current
issue of Waukee Living magazine

Growing produce for food pantries
Brinkman cultivates community through service.

By Lindsey Giardino

For the nine years Mary Kay Brinkman has lived in Waukee, she has made a point to give back. She volunteers through her church, as a Master Gardener and with WayPoint Resources.

At Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Des Moines, she works in the food pantry and helps with the social justice committee. Each month, she helps prepare food for Central Iowa Shelter & Services and assists with Fair Trade sales that support global artisans.
In fall 2023, Brinkman took the Master Gardener classes and was officially named a Master Gardener this year — an accomplishment that perfectly combines her love of nature and her desire to help others. ...

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Chiefs' trade offer for Jets RB Breece Hall revealed after deadline passes. The Chiefs were hoping to bolster their backfield at the NFL trade deadline, but they weren’t successful in their pursuit of a standout running back. One player Kansas City notably targeted at the Nov. 4 trade deadline was Jets running back Breece Hall. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: Ohio State tops CFP list; Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama next. Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the first rankings released Tuesday by the College Football Playoff selection committee, topping fellow unbeatens Indiana at No. 2 and Texas A&M at No. 3. Three SEC teams follow the Aggies, with Alabama at No. 4, Georgia at No. 5 and Ole Miss at No. 6. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Thunder roll Clippers to stay unbeaten as SGA keeps streak alive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept his remarkable scoring streak alive as the Oklahoma City Thunder came from behind to extend their unbeaten start to the NBA season with a 126-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. ... READ MORE

1941: The order is given: Bomb Pearl Harbor. On Nov. 5, 1941, the Combined Japanese Fleet receive Top-Secret Order No. 1: In just over a month's time, Pearl Harbor is to be bombed, along with Malaya (now known as Malaysia), the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. ... READ MORE

2007: Writers strike stalls production of TV shows, movies. Members of the Writers Guild of America, East, and Writers Guild of America, West — labor organizations representing television, film and radio writers — go on strike in Los Angeles and New York after negotiations break down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a trade group that represents TV and film producers in the United States, including CBS, NBC Universal, Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, News Corp., Sony Pictures Entertainment, MGM and Warner Brothers. The strike caused production to shut down on more than 60 TV shows and resulted in a loss of $3 billion, by some estimates, to the Los Angeles economy alone. ... READ MORE

2024: First openly transgender member of Congress elected. On Nov. 5, 2024, Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first openly transgender candidate to win a seat in Congress. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

Happy belated birthday to Mike Koenigs, who celebrated yesterday.

These celebrities were born on this date: Tilda Swinton, Bryan Adams, Sam Rockwell, Art Garfunkel, Kevin Jonas, Kris Jenner, Robert Patrick, Odell Beckham Jr., Annet Mahendru, Famke Janssen, Jonny Greenwood, Luke Hemsworth, Andrea McArdle, Jason Kelce, Judy Reyes, Peter Noone, Angelo Moore

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

The answer to the last riddle: What is the biggest difference between a turkey and a chicken? CHICKENS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING! - Gail Tomlinson, Judy Anderson. Other answers from Brian Kreps, Rex Post

Today's riddle: Why did the police officer stop Mom on the way home from Thanksgiving?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or Ankeny, Altoona or Bondurant Living magazines, contact:

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angela@iowalivingmagazines.com

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