From the category archives:

Opinion

‘This world is a scary place sometimes’

by dhayes on May 16, 2012

• Suicide was the result of bullying for this particular 14-year-old In October 2009, I wrote about a school district that welcomed in the idea of a special needs student becoming a Homecoming king. The student body was warm and kind to a young man whose only worry was whether the sun was going to [...]

{ 0 comments }

Walking for mom, for cancer

by dhayes on May 16, 2012

I’ve given $20 here and there to good causes through the years, but it wasn’t until Friday night that I actually got involved. I put my camera, pen and pad away and participated in the Poweshiek County Relay for Life. I could have been there covering it for the newspaper, but that night, I was [...]

{ 0 comments }

There’s this little colored ball that drives me nuts!

May 16, 2012 Frankly, I'd Rather Be Fishing

• Who says computers are so great? I can reboot, too! OK. I’m getting really tired of computers. Too bad Zach, our former intern, isn’t around to give me grief. But stick with me on this and you’ll see what I mean. Recently my work computer has gotten slow. I’ve been told that there’s so [...]

Read the full article →

Sour Grapes, May 16, 2012

May 16, 2012 Journal Tribune

Let’s see. It’s been a one-week break in column writing. See if anything jumps to mind. Nope. When Dad hit the wall when writing his “As I See It” column, he’d pull out a file next to his typewriter. In the file were clippings and notes from other newspapers. Sometimes Dad would run entire columns [...]

Read the full article →

Benton County letters, May 16, 2012

May 16, 2012 Crystal Ball

Council meeting On Monday, May 8, 2012, I attended my first Belle Plaine City Council meeting since Mayor Fish was elected. My husband and I had been out of the state over the winter months. My intent was to ask the city council to reconsider their decision regarding the Spring Neighborhood Cleanup Day. My understanding [...]

Read the full article →

Crystal Ball, May 16, 2012

May 16, 2012 Crystal Ball

April showers bring . . . I’d really like to write a gardening column but the problem is, I haven’t done much gardening this spring. Emptying the rain gauge, yes. Watching color radar, yes. Gardening, no. March came and went, with its string of 80 degree days, and I was all fired up to start [...]

Read the full article →

Love and moving the furniture

May 10, 2012 On The Road Again

I have a wonderful marriage. In fact, it is so wonderful that my wife, Debbie, even shovels the snow. And she likes it, too! I hate shoveling snow, but I enjoy cooking and cleaning. While she is shoveling snow I’m usually inside doing the dishes and fixing a meal. Every now and then I go [...]

Read the full article →

Feeding time in Decorah reminds me of my house

May 10, 2012 Frankly, I'd Rather Be Fishing

Well, I spent some time watching the Decorah bald eagles on the Web the other day. You can watch a pair of adult bald eagles raising their three young ones at http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles. It’s really kind of neat. For the most part the three young ones lay around. That’s what they were doing when I got [...]

Read the full article →

Benton County letters, May 9, 2012

May 9, 2012 Benton County Letters

Stafford Dear Editor: In a recent letter, Mr. Jones stated that the “Stratford” (check your spelling) Loan Program for college students was named after a Republican senator.  He’s right!  The Stafford Program was named after Vermont Republican Senator Robert T. Stafford in 1988.  Senator Stafford was known for his work to make higher education affordable [...]

Read the full article →

Crystal Ball, May 9, 2012

May 9, 2012 Crystal Ball

Step, squeak, step, squeak . . . I’m having a shoe crisis. I realize that shoes are not tremendously important when compared to gas prices, health care and this year’s presidential election but still, everyone puts on a pair before they leave the house in the morning. Shoes were a lot less complicated when I [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries