I miss the dime stores of years ago

August 24, 2026

By the time one reaches his late 70s there are things from his past that are missed. I miss dime stores. Dime stores were also known as five-and-dime stores. They sold low-price merchandise at fixed prices of five or ten cents and were introduced to American shoppers in the late 1800s. One of the dime stores’ attractions was openly displayed merchandise so shoppers didn’t have to ask a clerk to view the items. Early American dime stores were started by Franklin Winfield Woolworth and Sebastian Spering Kresge. Many cities had both an F.W. Woolworth’s and an ...

Midwest Fishing: Fall for crappies

August 24, 2026

Many very accomplished and well-known anglers have made the observation that crappies are a mysterious fish. In mid and late summer in a good number of lakes, they seem to disappear from areas where they were abundant just a few weeks earlier. But if you keep a few things in mind, you can catch’em when they re-appear in the fall. Crappies are crepuscular. This means that they are most active early and late in the day much of the year. In the fall though, they’ll often bite all day. Depending on where you’re fishing, there are a couple of very good ways to catch crappies right ...

Our Neighborhood: Atkinson built Willson Avenue Post Office

August 21, 2026

I would have enjoyed the rain we had a couple of weeks back; I was in Omaha that week and heat indexes were consistently above 105. It was HOT!! While visiting family there, I so wanted to see Fort Atkinson. Even though I worked in the Postal Service for nearly 30 years, my heart has always been in tune with our nation’s history. A chance to see another mid 1800’s site is sure to give me goosebumps. So… imagine my surprise, and a little joy, when I spotted an “Atkinson” address while walking through Our Neighborhood on our return to Webster City. Charles E. Atkinson was ...

The Adventures of Adam and Eve

August 17, 2026

Adam was growing weary of naming animals when he heard a voice call out, “Adam.” Since there was no one else around he correctly assumed it was the voice of God. “Yes, Lord!” Adam said. “Adam, you look lonely.” “Well, yeah, it’s just me and the animals. By the way, I named that big animal over there a cow but I don’t know what to call the dangly things under it.” “Don’t worry about the dangly things, “God said. “I want to talk with you about a woman.” “What’s a woman?” “A woman will be your helpmate,” God explained. “She will help you ...

Yearning for civility: It begins at home

August 11, 2026

I always thought I had good parents. They didn’t have a lot of money, they didn’t dote on me, tell me I was beautiful or perfect. They taught me how to try, they encouraged me to study and they taught me how to work. They made me want to be a good person. They were good because they cared enough to teach us basic values at home. They were busy people, my father was a very small farmer, barely making enough to pay the bills. We lived on 40 acres. I was told more than once that no one could survive on that. But we did. My dad worked hard. He was a responsible man and I was very ...

Old enough to be friendly… and safe

August 10, 2026

Our nation’s FIFA World Cup visitors returned home with glowing reports on their visit to the United States. Fans from Great Britain, Europe, Korea and other regions bragged about America’s natural beauty, stadium sizes, portion sizes and free refills on soft drinks. Many were amazed at the friendliness of the American people. I tend to take these things for granted, of course, but I am pleased that our visitors felt they had been treated with warm hospitality. I grew up surrounded by friendliness and warm conversation. Most members of my family knew few strangers and ...