Le Mars, Iowa · Tuesday, February 9, 2010
[Masthead] Overcast with Haze ~ °F  
High: 20°F ~ Low: -9°F
Exploring space is like having children (02/04/10)
"Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolution, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. ...
Was there a triple dog dare involved? (01/28/10)
We humans are truly amazing creatures. We have a seemingly unlimited capacity to learn, love and the desire to constantly push beyond our limits. The people who are able to do these things and survive are known as explorers, heroes and innovators. The people who fail while attempting these things are called crazy and, more often than not, end up dead...
Boyfriend unsure of marriage? Financial incentives available... (01/21/10)
It all makes sense to me now. Growing up during the midst of the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s, I thought the whole thing was about equality. Everyone, regardless of their age or gender, should be treated the same. A survey recently released by the Pew Research Center this week on the economic impact of marriage on men and women shows just how much progress has been made in the last four decades...
Far from an ordinary person (01/14/10)
On Monday, Miep Gies, who along with her husband Jan, helped hide and sustain Anne Frank's family for more than two years, died at the age of 100. Gies, who worked as a secretary for Otto Frank, found the pages of Anne's diary, scattered in the attic hiding place, gathered and saved them for Anne. ...
Cabin fever cures, Fox and geese, anyone? (01/07/10)
Cold and snow got you down? Finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning? Is the air in your house so dry you give yourself static electricity shocks? It must be the dead of winter, prime time for cabin fever, seasonal affective disorder and itchy, flaky dry skin...
Snowmageddon and the Christmas snowblower (12/31/09)
I hope you had a good Christmas, despite the weather. The blizzard was kind of like the old Rankin/Bass stop motion animation classic, "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer." It was weather like last week that gave Rudolph a job, so let it never be said that bad weather is all bad...
A very Merry Christmas to you (12/24/09)
Tonight is the night! Children of all ages, the wait is over. Christmas, glorious Christmas, is here once again. Time for families and loved ones to gather together and do something we do far too little of these days -- nothing. Yes, meals will be prepared. Yes, church will be attended. Yes, gifts will be exchanged. Yes, favorite stories and family myths and legends will be retold. Yes, favorite movies will be watched and stirring rounds of games of all kinds will be played...
A plate of Christmas cheer (12/17/09)
Can you hear that? That's the sound of Christmas sneaking up on you. Christmas Eve is a week away from tonight. In just seven days, some of us will be opening presents. Does that frighten you, or are you all done and ready to go? So, what's the tradition at your home? Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Growing up, my family were Christmas Eve people. ...
Hey, I think there's a song there... (12/10/09)
he Christmas countdown continues, with two weeks -- just 14 days -- until Christmas Eve. The return of the Earl Utesch Lighted Parade and Pioneer Village Christmas this past weekend, as well as the snow, should leave no doubt that the season is upon us...
If they get up, deck 'em again... (12/03/09)
Well, we knew it had to end sometime. Reality has reared its ugly head, and cold weather has returned. After the dreadful weather we had in October, we caught a glorious break for nearly the entire month of November. Dry, sunny days allowed the harvest to be completed. They also provided a wonderful opportunity for many to decorate their homes for Christmas...
At least the world ends on Friday (11/19/09)
My wife and I went to see "2012" this past weekend and found ourselves laughing quite a bit. No, the movie isn't exactly a comedy, but it is quite funny. The two and a half hour film is directed by Roland Emmerich, the man who brought us "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow." You may recall there were quite a few iconic landmarks destroyed in his earlier two films, and let's just say "2012," the end of the world movie, follows the same format...
At the Crossroads of Green Acres and Midlife Junction (11/12/09)
A little over a week ago, I attended a meeting where the results of a Market Study of downtown Le Mars, conducted by Downtown Professionals Network under the auspices of Main Street Iowa were revealed. Thanks to a grant, Le Mars was one of only seven communities in the state to have this market study done...
Bearing witness to history (11/05/09)
Next Wednesday is Veterans Day, a day to acknowledge and thank all those who have served in the armed forces. The holiday began as a commemoration of end of World War I, the "war to end all wars," and was celebrated on November 11. It was called Armistice Day back then. In 1954, Congress changed the name and scope of the holiday to include all veterans and it has been known as Veterans Day ever since...
The godfather of the 'children of the night' (10/29/09)
Only two more days to Halloween and an extra hour of sleep. In one of those quirks of the calendar, during the early morning hours of Nov.1, Standard Time returns, so before retiring for the night on Oct. 31, you need to set your clocks back one hour, unless you want to be REALLY early for church...
Hey, I'm part of the media 'elite'! (10/22/09)
They began arriving about a week ago. Every day for the past week, I have been receiving angry emails from numerous people, many of whom I don't know. At first, I simply deleted the messages after reading them. Most were identical, just sent from different people. The subject line: How do we love you, let me count the ways... or Can you hear us now?...
A fool for the city (10/15/09)
I still enjoy Foghat's "Fool for the City" whenever I hear it played. The song, from the album of the same name, was released in 1975. It wasn't as popular as "Slow Ride," the other single from the album, but the truly hip kids (as hip as one can be at the ripe old age of 14) knew that it was a cool song...
Watch that backdraft, or you'll be sorry... (10/08/09)
Autumn has arrived, with winter waiting a bit too impatiently in the wings. The change of weather has ended our late summer warmth, and has many pondering and preparing for the cold weather that lies ahead. Soon, many will be raking leaves, an autumnal ritual that can be a joy or a drudge, depending on your outlook and how much help you have...
The end of Western Civilization? Nah...only a prank (10/01/09)
"This is why we can't have nice things." You probably heard this phrase from your mother, usually after an incident that resulted in the damage or destruction of something valuable in the house. A nice lamp demolished by throwing a ball inside the house after repeated calls to cease and desist from your parents...
'Gran Torino' is a wonderful ride (09/24/09)
Fall arrived on Tuesday, but it sure seemed as if it blew in on Monday morning. The weather of the past few weeks has been wonderful. Let's hope we can enjoy some moderation -- get a real fall, since we didn't truly have a real summer. The warm end to summer brought with it a rush of produce from local gardens. People that would give their kingdoms for garden tomatoes earlier this summer are now drowning in them...
Getting elected is the 'easy' part (09/18/09)
Today was the deadline to file nomination papers for the municipal elections to be held in November. In Le Mars and communities all across the state, citizens will be electing mayors and members of city councils. I am a firm believer that for our participatory democracy to work, we all need to play our part. In an ideal world, every resident of a community would serve at least one term in elected office to see what life is like on the other side of the fence...
Back to where they once belonged (09/10/09)
I feel bad that my column comes out on Thursday. I missed -- by one day -- a golden opportunity on pile on the media overload of the latest wave of Beatlemania. Yesterday, MTV Games released "The Beatles: Rock Band" for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii. Rock Band is among the crop of video games that allows you to participate in making music. For $250, you can purchase the game, guitars, drums and microphones. If you have the gadgets, it's only $50...
Frozen in time (09/04/09)
I hope your week is going well. Made the trip to Minneapolis a week ago, got Madison moved in, celebrated Persephone's first birthday and had a nice visit with Lindsay and Thomas. It was a bit easier to leave Madison off for her second year of college...
Driving is already multitasking (08/27/09)
Ahh, the wonders of technology. It seems that every day there is news of some wonderful advance, some new piece of technology that will revolutionize our lives. Other days, there are products announced or advertised that make you wonder if we are using technology to improve our lives or if we are becoming too lazy for our own good...
What would we do without routines? (08/20/09)
Autumn will soon be here. The signs of its arrival are all around us: shorter days, cooler evenings, dewy mornings, schools resuming classes and a general, barely discernible change in the air. In a few weeks, it will be here, full on. But right now, fall is just off in the distance, like a thunderstorm on the northern horizon -- you know it will be arriving, but for now, you can enjoy the calm before the storm...
What would Gallant do? (08/13/09)
Schoolchildren, your days are numbered -- literally. A week from today, students at Gehlen Catholic and Le Mars Community will officially begin the 2009-10 school year. Parents, hang in there, the safety and sanity of the school year routine is within sight...
All it takes is 15 minutes a day (08/06/09)
A new exercise program? Teeth whitener? Self-help program? What can you do to improve your life with just 15 minutes each day? Would you believe being outside in the sunshine, without sunblock for a quarter hour? That's the amount of time required for your body to produce your daily requirement of Vitamin D from sunshine. A study released this week indicated that 70 percent of children in the United States aren't getting enough Vitamin D...
Taking a dive of faith (07/30/09)
Well, it's all just about over. I hope you found the time to enjoy some of it. It's nearly the end of July and the Plymouth County Fair is in full swing. This can only mean one thing: summer will soon be over. Yes, I know, it doesn't seem fair, but the signs are all around. In a few short weeks, schools will be opening their doors and the patterns and routines of the school year will soon be back in effect...
Ground control to Major Tom... (07/23/09)
It was a landmark week. Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon. My digital video recorder (DVR) has many hours of spaceflight history that I am slowly working my way through. The first step in curing an addiction is admitting the problem...
The lone constant in life (07/16/09)
One of the universal truths that I have discovered in my 48 years on the planet is that one of the most universally feared and hated forces in life -- change -- is also one of the lone constants. Change occurs all the time. Some of the changes are good, some are bad. It all depends on your point of view. I'm not a big fan of change, but I realize that in the end it is healthier to embrace change...
Remember the music (07/09/09)
Will you remember where you were and what you were doing when you learned that Michael Jackson had died? Your answer will say much about your age, taste in music, as well as how you felt about the lifestyle of the man, not the entertainer. In the seemingly endless coverage of his death, even the most devoted fan must be feeling that enough is enough. ...
Time for the big guns. Where's the cherry bomb? (07/02/09)
Happy Independence Day! I realize I'm a couple of days early, but since the holiday falls on the weekend, we won't be having a paper tomorrow, and our offices will be closed. It's one of those rare opportunities for a three-day weekend, and I hope that you get to enjoy one as well...
I can't get it out of my head... (06/25/09)
Well, we were tired of the cool weather, so the heat wave of this week should make up for some of the cool days and nights of May. The rains of last weekend were very welcome and the heat and humidity should be very beneficial for the crops. That is the pat phrase we use here in Iowa when the weather is stifling: "it's good for the corn." It becomes almost a mantra during July and August, but it is true, and does help, I think...
Thanks, dad (06/18/09)
"Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers - and fathering is a very important stage in their development." -- David M. Gottesman Sunday is Father's Day, a day to thank the men who are up to the task of being fathers, molders of the foundation of our society...
You wouldn't take 50 cents, would you? (06/11/09)
We are in the midst of open season for sidewalk entrepreneurship. Garage sales are being held and lemonade and Kool-Aid stands are appearing on the corner. These small start up ventures are excellent learning experiences for all involved. I've never been a fan of the garage sale. It looks like a lot of work and aggravation to me. Taking the time to clean up old clothing and knick knacks, price them at below fire sale prices and then be ready to haggle with customers over a dime...
Lessons learned from summer jobs (06/04/09)
The season of summer won't officially arrive until June 21, but for all practical purposes, it began this week as the last schools in the county dismissed classes for the summer. As we settle into new sleeping and traffic patterns and routines, it is nice to enjoy the change. Although I believe boredom will soon be rearing its ugly head in many households...
The fossil evolves (05/28/09)
Every day, no scratch that, every hour, no it happens more quickly than that. The world is in a constant state of change. Every day we learn about some new advances in science, medicine or technology. Keeping up is difficult, and after a while it can all be overwhelming...
A true Le Mars original (05/21/09)
When I began working at the Sentinel nearly 12 years ago, I was, in many ways, a fish out of water. I moved my family to a new and larger community, took on a faster paced, higher pressure job and things had definitely changed. I'm not a big fan of change, but it is one of the few constants in life. I have found that it is much better to embrace change, because it will happen with or without you...
There goes May... (05/14/09)
The merry month of May is just about half over. Graduation, the end of the school year, start of baseball and softball seasons are just days away. From there, it's a quick slide to Memorial Day, the "unofficial" start of summer. Hang on, the rest of the month will be over before you know it...
What's good for GM is good for -- China? (05/07/09)
Last week, I wrote about the demise of the Pontiac brand of automobiles and mourned the passage of a brand, as well as the powerful loyalty a brand can inspire. I couldn't figure out why General Motors would keep their Buick car line, which many associate with older people. How could a long term business model be based on a car line that would see many of its loyal customers vanish in the next two decades?...
Say 'hi' to Oldsmobile... (04/30/09)
Growing up during the 1960s and 70s, having a father that worked as a mechanic at a car dealership and having two older brothers, I learned a lot about cars. I learned which models were dependable from the Chief and which wheels looked good on a Chevelle from my brothers. It was a wonderful time of sleek lines and raw horsepower...
A chair in a box? What will they think of next? (04/23/09)
In the film version of Meredith Wilson's musical "The Music Man," a young Ron Howard leads members of the cast through a lisping version of "The Wells Fargo Wagon." The speech impaired Winthrop wonders what the "somethin' schpesial" the delivery wagon is carrying, as are many in the small town...
Trying to catch the rabbit 'in the act' (04/16/09)
Did you have a Happy Easter? Did the Easter Bunny bring you enough candy to keep you wired for most of this week? It was a beautiful weekend and we were fortunate to have the entire family home. We left the house twice, I think and had a wonderful time just being together. I think we often forget what a blessing family truly is, and should make more time just to be together...
What's up doc? Bugs Bunny as art (04/09/09)
One of my fondest childhood memories is coming home from school and watching a half-hour of cartoons. One of the three channels we received on our Zenith black and white television carried Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Warner Brothers produced these shorts from 1930 to 1969 to air before movies. ...
To boldly go where we have gone before (04/02/09)
I heard a news item this past week that caught my attention. It seems that President Obama may appoint a new administrator for NASA. Current NASA head Mike Griffin hasn't been playing nice with the new administration, refusing to give them information they have requested on the agency's rocket program...
The wonderful chaos of a full house (03/26/09)
As one of six children growing up, it seemed that our house was always teeming with activity. Our house basically had three bedrooms, so we ended up putting in beds wherever we could, sharing a room with at least one sibling, if not more. As my brothers and sisters grew up and moved away from home, the younger children would have some breathing room, and perhaps our own dresser all to ourself. But when holidays or special occasions brought everyone back home, we found a way to make it work...
Did you balance an egg today? (03/19/09)
Ah, springtime... Tommorow is officially the first day of Spring, although the weather for nearly a week has been wonderful. With the start of Daylight Savings Time, as well as the change of seasons, the days are growing longer and the long winter is finally over (we hope)...
"Watchmen": Not your average superhero movie (03/12/09)
My wife and I went to a movie this weekend, something we haven't done since last fall. We saw "Watchmen," an adaptation of a comic book series done in the 1980s. The two and a half-hour movie was visually stunning, entertaining and disturbing, which is what I believe the director was trying to achieve. ...
Blue eyes or brown? (03/05/09)
When I was kid, I clearly remember the moon landing the summer of 1969. My family watched, along with millions of others, as Neil Armstrong took those first steps. It was a tremendous moment of national pride, coming at a time when we all needed something to unify and uplift our country...
The Greenhand and the blue jackets (02/26/09)
In addition to being the final week of the shortest month of the year, this week is National FFA Week. Back when I was in high school, during the Carter administration, the organization was known as Future Farmers of America, but now goes by its acronym, FFA...
Sir, did you know... (02/19/09)
Can you believe that February is nearly over? The days seem to fly by and the flirtation with Spring that we have experienced recently only make us more anxious for its actual arrival. February is the month that my wife and I were born, four days apart. ...
History repeating? (02/12/09)
In my spare time, one of the things I enjoy is reading. I inherited this habit from my late mother, who could churn through a novel a day when she found an author she liked. I'm not that voracious or fast. In fact, there are times when it will take me several weeks to get through a 400 page novel. It all depends on what is going on at the time...
A half century since 'The day the music died' (02/05/09)
Golden anniversaries are special things. Remembering what occurred 50 years ago is no small feat, something I appreciate more every day as I struggle to remember what I had for breakfast. Anniversaries are often happy things, marked by family gatherings and celebrations. Others are more somber and conjure images of what could have been...
Can I hitch a ride to Mars? (01/29/09)
Reality can be different things to different people. What some might see and accept as the gospel truth, there are others that might see nothing at all and question the sanity of the person making the declaration of what is real. If you think about this a minute, I'm sure you can think of an example. Like some nut job saying the Arizona Cardinals would be in the Super Bowl. Yeah, right! What? They are? Go figure...
Foreign bodies in your Kleenex (01/22/09)
Your nose is runnin' And your eyes are red Your head is achin' You'd be better in bed From the bottom of your fever To the throbbing in your toes You've got a cold - lyric 10cc "You've got a Cold" Traditionally, we wait until the desperate despair of February in our family to come down with the knock-down, drag out cold. Usually by February we have been fighting the good fight against winter long enough, and worn down to a frazzle, succumb to whatever is the dominant virus of the week...
Cabin fever and the Children's Blizzard (01/15/09)
Happy January! What a wonderful, old-fashioned snowy and bone-chilling start to the new year! If the snow and cold of December didn't provide enough opportunities for you to have a good time, it is looking like January will be picking up the slack. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for above average temperatures, allowing some of the snow we received this week to actually melt, which is a good thing. In some places, there simply isn't any more room...
Thank you, thank you very much (01/08/09)
It's a royal birthday today. Queen Elizabeth? Nope. Prince Charles? Nope. William or Harry? Wrong again. Think American royalty. American rock and roll royalty. Yes, today marks the 74th anniversary of Elvis Aaron Presley. "The King" was born January 8, 1935 in a two room house in Tupelo, Mississippi. In doing research for this column, I learned that he was a twin, and his twin brother, Jesse Garon, was born stillborn...
How long were you out there? (01/02/09)
Mary Roder is taking the week off to spend time with family, so I thought that I would pinch hit for her today. Happy New Year! I hope that the new year brings you health, happiness and prosperity. All three are important, but without the first two, the third one is pretty meaningless...
Let's go for a ride... (12/18/08)
It's go time. We're only a week away from Christmas Day. Do you have your shopping done? Started?! Plans all made for gatherings and holiday meals? If you have everything done, congratulations. You are a step ahead of many of us, and can enjoy watching the rest of us scurry around like rats in a maze, frantically trying to get everything done so our Christmases can be "perfect."...
Snow, fun for some.... (12/11/08)
Snow, glorious snow. On top of ice, wonderful ice. Wasn't Monday's storm a wonderful reminder of how winter can be a wonderful thing when you are a child and an equally awful thing when you are an adult? As children, bad weather means getting out of school early, getting time to play with friends and have a wonderful time. ...
Are you a sitar hero? (12/04/08)
Three weeks until Christmas Day. The year has really flown past, hasn't it? I'm afraid the rest of the year will simply be a blur, so try to enjoy the holidays and keep everything in perspective. Easier said than done, I know. So, have you avoided the viruses that are going around? The cold season seems to begin earlier each year, and venturing out to concerts, school programs, family gatherings and shopping exposes us to all sorts of nasty bugs...
Deja vu all over again (11/20/08)
A week away from Thanksgiving, five weeks away from Christmas. Where has 2008 gone? I imagine when it's all over, many of us will be glad to see 2008 behind us, but 2009 may not be very popular at all. It's been an autumn of adjustment at our house. ...
When does innocence die? (11/13/08)
I should know better. Watching the national news is rarely ever a balm for one's soul. Last week's news about an 8-year-old boy shooting his father and another man who was renting a room at their home in St. Johns, Ariz., was puzzling and chilling. Some details have emerged about the crime before a judge issued a gag order on the police and lawyers on Monday, and the information raises more questions than answers...
Saving Halloween, mail delivery and other random thoughts (11/06/08)
Well, we survived another political season. Now it's on to the 2012 race, which should be in the planning stages. Sad, but true. Some random thoughts have been going through my mind lately, and I thought I'd share a few of them with you, with your kind indulgence, gentle reader...
Many treats, very few tricks, please (10/30/08)
This coming weekend is a time for tricks and treats. Tomorrow night, children of all ages will celebrate Halloween by doing the traditional trick-or-treating. Adults will get their treat the following night when Standard Time resumes and we all get an extra hour of sleep...
You've got -- WHAT?! (10/23/08)
The Internet has transformed our society in many ways over the past 20 years. Daily, it is used to communicate nearly simultaneously with people all over the globe. Millions of dollars of transactions are made, goods and services bought and sold, changing the way we buy things...
God save the remote (10/16/08)
The past few days have certainly made it apparent that fall is in the air. The golden days of early autumn, sunny and sweet, have truly spoiled us. It's a wonderful time of the year when you don't need to run the air conditioner or the furnace. Blissful times of low utility bills...
What is truckin'? Should I keep doing it? (10/09/08)
Our youngest daughter has been away at college for over a month. This past weekend, my wife and I went into her room to straighten things up for the time when she comes home to visit. The afternoon went by quickly, and we accomplished our goal. Before she left, Maddie gathered up some things that needed to be taken to Goodwill. ...
'You just keep thinkin' Butch. That's what you're good at.' (10/02/08)
I was shocked to hear of the passing of actor Paul Newman last week. Newman, 83 (can that possibly be right - 83?), lost his fight against cancer, dying at home with family and friends nearby. Funny thing about movie stars -- we see them in films, where they never will age, never will truly die, and we lose perception of the realities of life and death...
The wonder of fuel oil (09/25/08)
It's official, fall has arrived and far too soon, we will be spending more of our time indoors. I'm hoping for a long, sunny fall and a short, mild winter. I always say, if you are going to wish, wish big. Preparing homes for fall and winter has become a multi-million dollar business, as homeowners seek to keep the insects and other varmints out and the expensive warm air in...
Is 30 the new 15? (09/18/08)
Growing up, there were countless times when I was told to "act my age" by my parents. My mother used that phrase, the Chief was more fond of "who's the baby around here?" Subtlety was not my father's strong suit. So, we spend all of this time to "grow up" and what happens when and if we ever do grow up? We want to be kids again...
Dealing with the "G" word (09/11/08)
I was fortunate enough to see my granddaughter again this past weekend, taking my wife up to spend a week with Lindsay as Sephie's father, Thomas, returns to work. It's amazing how much she has changed. More alert, holding up her head more, responding to the voices of her parents. I know it's been a long time since I was around a newborn, but I am amazed at how quickly they change...
Two days that changed my life (09/04/08)
It's a girl. Our first grandchild, Persephone Marie Valenty, was born August 26 at 5:46 a.m. in a hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn. She was eight pounds, 13 ounces and was 22 inches long. She has lovely dark brown hair. Mom, dad and granddaughter are all home and doing fine...
Nothing like a good laugh (08/28/08)
I admit it. I'm hooked. I've been a fan of movies since I was a kid. Next to reading a good book, the movies are the best way to travel to places you will more than likely never have the opportunity to let alone see, better yet go to. In the early 1990s, when we were living in the bucolic town of Hornick, I was convinced that we would never again have cable television. Who would wire a town of just over 200 for cable? It would never happen...
Routine is the cure for change (08/21/08)
This time of year always brings a full range of emotions to parents and children. The first day of school is met with regret for the end of summer, fear for the school year that lies ahead, and the tangible proof that your children are growing up. Change is at the door, ready or not...
"I ain't afraid of you" (08/14/08)
Raising children to become responsible adults is no easy task. It is the one essential role that parents need to accomplish to keep civilization going. Hard work, and it helps to know that you aren't in it alone. Even though you may think that your challenges are unique, they basically have been the same since the beginning of time...
Something magical about December (08/07/08)
I know, I know, gentle reader, why in the midst of the dog days of August would I write about the cold of December? As you have already surmised, there is a story behind it. As I write this on Wednesday, I am awaiting word from my oldest daughter and her husband to see if our first grandchild is on the way. ...
What's good for General Motors, or Toyota, is good for? (07/31/08)
I have told you all numerous times that my late father, Arved "The Chief" Stangl, after being discharged from the Army following World War II, went to work for Manning Motors, the Chevrolet dealership in the town where I was raised. The Chief was a mechanic, and became a virtuoso on the Turbo-Hydromatic transmission. He worked long hours and constantly sought to improve his skills by studying technical manuals at night and attending seminars in Omaha or Des Moines...
Blame it on secondhand television (07/24/08)
Life is full of irony, and often you don't need to look very far to find it. This past weekend, I was watching the local 10 p.m. newscast and their health segment came on. The topic? Second hand television. Second hand television? The dangers of watching a used set? No, no -- it couldn't be anything as straightforward as that. The second hand that they are referring to is having the television on while you are doing other things...
I'm working on it! (07/17/08)
"I think the place you grew up in is a lot like 'Hotel California'; you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. We'll never know any place better than the place we grew up, and no place, I suspect, will ever be more important to us, at least in terms of our imaginative lives. ...
Cry havoc -- and pass the punk (07/10/08)
Did you have a pleasant Independence Day weekend? The three days seemed to fly by quickly. The weather was ideal for anything you wanted to do, and there was no shortage of things to do. The fireworks display in Le Mars was once again wonderful. The weather even cooperated with cooler temperatures and a slight breeze to aid in keeping the insects at bay...
Half done? Already? (07/03/08)
Tomorrow, many of us will get to take a day off to celebrate our nation's 232nd birthday. As a happy calendar coincidence, many will get a three day weekend as well. Traditionally, the summer season is marked by three milestone events: the beginning - Memorial Day, the mid point - July 4, and the end - Labor Day. The weather and the actual official dates for the season may say otherwise, but for as long as I can remember, that's the way it has been...
Wisdom from the pain (06/26/08)
Summertime is prime time for oral surgeons, seeing a steady stream of young people, ages 17 to 25, to remove wisdom teeth, the final set of molars that many of us get and some have great difficulty removing. I'm sure the mere mention of wisdom teeth brings back memories for many, usually horror stories of impacted teeth, wacky behavior after being under anesthesia or the dreaded infection or dry sockets...
Didn't see that one coming (06/19/08)
Summer officially arrives Friday night, but for all practical purposes, it's been here for a while. As soon as the trees get their leaves, the weather warms up and school lets out, it's summertime. The pace of life seems to slow and most folks are more relaxed. People get to spend more time outdoors and that makes everything better as well. June can be a glorious month...
Wit and wisdom of my father (06/12/08)
Sunday is Father's Day, a time to acknowledge the pater familias (the male head of the household, as the Romans referred to him), pop, dad -- he has many names, many jobs and is truly never appreciated until he is gone. Even though I have been a father for nearly half of my life, when I consider Father's Day, my thoughts invariably go to my own father, Arved Stangl, otherwise known as "The Chief," who passed away in 2001...
Remembering Bobby (06/05/08)
As this year has progressed, the commemoration of the events of 1968 have become more frequent. If you were looking for a year that could have marked the coming apart of our nation, 1968 would have fit the bill nicely. Today marks for me one of the most vivid memories I have of the year, the assassination of New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy...
We 'overcame' more than we thought (05/29/08)
Summer is here, and time to be more laid back and enjoy the warm weather before it becomes truly hot. School is out, and I'll wager that some child has already uttered the classic summertime child complaint -- "I'm bored." I received the following in an email. Perhaps many of you have seen it already. It brought back many memories for me, and also focused my perception on how much times have changed in the four decades that I have been alive...
Memorial Day already? Time for a picnic (05/22/08)
You can feel it in the air, it's almost here. Graduation ceremonies are over, schools will soon dismiss for the year, the days are becoming warmer and baseball and softball seasons are underway. Yes, even though it won't be "official" for a month, summer has arrived. Some time between graduation and Memorial Day, all of the plants and trees explode with color, filling out with blossoms and leaves...
A glimpse of a golden moment (05/15/08)
"Now if all my golden moments Could be rolled into one They would shine just like the sun For a summer day And after it was over We could have it back again With credit to the editor For striking out the rain (very clean) And all it really needed Was the proper point of view" -- James Taylor, lyric, "Golden Moments"...
Making room for the party (05/08/08)
An early Happy Mother's Day to the moms out there. Thanks for all you have done, continue to do, and always will do. Being a parent is a thankless, but essential job in our society. Without your efforts, who knows where we would be? Oh yes, I think I have an idea of where we would be. Living like feral animals, not wearing clean underwear and our eyes would have stayed crossed from crossing them one too many times...
Charlene, we're glad we knew you (05/01/08)
I often say that we spend more waking hours at work with people that we get to know than we do with the people we love. The reality of life is that we must work to make a living and, while not always essential, it is much better to get along with the people you work with...
Combination windows will set you free (04/24/08)
It appears that after a few false starts, spring is indeed here to stay, nearly a month after it's official arrival. Some folks in my neighborhood have been out doing yard work and the number of folks out walking in the evening is growing. Heck, they have even been able to have track and golf meets. This is no small feat, considering snow cancellations earlier this month...
Landmarks ahead (04/17/08)
21 days. As of last weekend, that's how many days my daughter, a senior at LCHS, had left before graduation. Wow. Where has the year gone? Where do any of them go? Time is relative, it seems, and the more you have of it, the longer it seems to last...
Heston was a true American original (04/10/08)
The longer I live, I have more opportunities to learn and experience things. The more I learn, the greater my realization becomes that there is so much more to know and so little time to learn it all. With this realization comes sadness when you see people pass away. Charlton Heston, the epitome of the rugged individuals that are Americans, passed away at his home on Saturday at the age of 84...
Reading, writing and torture (04/03/08)
As I got ready for the day on Wednesday, I had the television on in the kitchen, listening more than watching as I ate my breakfast. A news item came on that literally gave me the creeps (not a pleasant thing early in the morning over a bowl of cereal)...
Playing your part (03/27/08)
We are just a few short days away from the end of the month of March, which is designated as national Music in Our Schools Month and goes by the rather awkward acronym MIOSM. Why must we always have shortened versions of titles? MIOSM was created several years ago to highlight the importance and benefits of music education during a period when many music programs were being cut and even eliminated. ...
T-t-t-too much time on my hands.... (03/20/08)
The first day of Spring is upon us, and there is less than two months before high schools around the county hold commencement exercises. My youngest daughter, Madison, is graduating this year and this past weekend we had another of many "lasts" in her high school career: the final show choir competition...
The check is in the mail (almost) (03/13/08)
Have you filed your income tax return? Are you one of the early filers that have already received their refunds? If so, congratulations. Me? I'm one of those wait until March filers. It's a habit I developed when I owned my own business. Back in those days, I usually ended up borrowing money to buy equipment that could be depreciated, or borrowing money to pay taxes...
I'm already gone (I hope) (03/06/08)
Happy Thursday! As I write this column on Tuesday, I am busy making plans for my life after Wednesday night's Powerball drawing. Even though as I write this I have yet to purchase a ticket, I am confident that this will be the time that I will win. How do I know? Gambler's intuition? False hope? Active fantasy life?...
February 30? A brief history of leap year (02/28/08)
Tomorrow is a leap day, something we have every four years, give or take. An extra day to the short month of February. The unfortunate souls who are born tomorrow will have to choose whether they celebrate their birthdays on Feb. 28, or March 1. As they grow older, celebrating your birthday every four years becomes more appealing. What 44 year old wouldn't want to be 11?...
Finding escape on the small screen (02/21/08)
Cheer up, only 28 days until spring "officially" arrives. Less than a month until the frozen tundra that has become our homes begins to recede, and, if we are very lucky, we may finally get to see some green. You remember green, don't you? This past weekend, My body finally gave in to the viruses that have been going around, and I spent the entire weekend in four hour increments waiting to take my next dose of Tylenol to relieve my fever and body aches. ...
By Tom Stangl
From the publisher's desk