It's a new fishing season for anglers across the Midwest and North America! Many anglers have already been fishing, others are looking forward to their first trip to the lake, river, reservoir, or pond. Following are some things to keep in mind when you get ready to go fishing. First of ...
It’s May Day. Of course it is, because it’s the very first day of this month. Have you ever wondered why we don’t notice February Day or maybe August Day? Or even October Day? My theory is because the two words rhyme. September Day, for instance, just doesn’t have the same ring to it as May Day. Celebrating May Day was big in past centuries when it was a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring; think of dancing around a May pole. Now, if we do any celebrating at all, it has much more to do with May Basket Day, which is also marked today. But, like most of ...
Driving through our suburban neighborhood a few Sundays ago I was struck by how Sundays have changed. The rush of traffic was far different than the quiet, lazy Sundays I knew as a child. I was raised in a home where the Commandment to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy was taken quite literally. Back in those days, it seems, many folks did. Family lore tells of a great-uncle who shaved on Saturday nights so he did not have to do so on Sunday in violation of the Commandment. Our family wasn’t that fanatical about it but Sundays were distinct in our home. Dad insisted, ...
The internet tells us that the first known deliveries of Meals on Wheels, in the United States, was in Philadelphia in 1954, and that currently the program serves 2.4 million seniors annually. It was a 1971 that Ray Roden, then pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, brought together a group of citizens to talk about starting Meals on Wheels in Webster City. The group talked about how to fund the program. After much discussion, it was decided not to become involved with government funding, but instead to get financial help from the Webster City community. Meals on Wheels was founded as an ...
Legislation currently being considered by the Iowa Legislature would hinder the ability of local elected officials to make budget decisions to fund the programs and services their constituents depend on and desire. House File 773 would place an arbitrary 2 percent annual growth limitation on property tax revenue that a county or city could collect. Senate File 634 would place the cap at 0 percent growth with the ability to go to 2 percent by resolution and 3 percent subject to reverse referendum. This one-size-fits-all does not consider the varying needs of Iowa’s 99 counties and ...
The first funeral I can remember was for a 3-year-old cousin who drowned in his family’s farm stock tank. I was 6-years-old. The service was at Ramsey Reformed Church north of Titonka in Iowa’s far northern Kossuth County. This is my extended family’s church; my parents worshiped there until I was 4-years-old and we moved away. I was baptized there 71 years ago. I remember two things from my cousin’s funeral. First, the incredible sadness that clouded the day. Second, a mixed group sang an old hymn, Under His Wings. Over the years, I have attended scores of funerals ...
