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It was a record-breaking year for the Class of 2022

The graduating class of 2022 of Webster City High School had a record-breaking year, and its students were honored for it at Wednesday night’s awards ceremony. The awards ceremony recognizes the seniors who put in a plentitude of hard work in order to get into the positions they are ...

Prelude to a graduation

There are names that take us somewhere and, when you are my age, that is likely back. For instance, in the list of scholarships and awards given last night at Webster City High School, the name Cindy Warland Eddy revived a distinct memory. There we were, lined up for Torch photos — this ...

Sell this town

The writer Bob Oliver stopped in Monday on the heels of the Daily Freeman-Journal publishing his story about the volunteerism that crucially made a year of work on Webster City’s parks possible. We got to talking, as you can imagine, and this question was raised: How do we tell people outside this place the extent of what Webster City has to offer? Now, Bob and I can really get going on what it doesn’t offer: We both lived in Denver when it was developing into its present intensity. I know some of you might long for that level of activity, but get stuck on Colorado Boulevard just ...

Thank a volunteer

On page one today, writer Robert Oliver discusses the many park improvements that have enhanced this community's already fortunate bounty of public outdoor space. Yes, Webster City is blessed. Ironically, when news surfaced of the proposed construction of a retail store where East Twin Park exists, the city manager at the time, Jeff Sheridan, reasoned that with so many plentiful parks locally, the loss of East Twin to a retail building wouldn't be missed. As we know now, he couldn't have been more spectacularly wrong. Our parks are a strength, a powerful calling card in the ...

Together

The above lines came to me as I thought about my visit to the Webster City Rotary Club meeting a week ago. On the agenda was Tim Bailey, a missionary in Romania and son of Doug and Nancy Bailey, of Webster City. Doug and Nancy are known by their friends and colleagues for their good works, but lately that has been eclipsed — and I say this in a good way — by the efforts of Tim and his family and colleagues in Romania. Through his group Youth With A Mission, he has refocused a good portion their collective efforts to serve as a refuge and resource for people in Ukraine. To help ...

And just like that …

Today is my last day with the Daily Freeman-Journal, bringing to a close nearly 30 years with the company. That old saying "time flies" may seem a bit cliche, but it certainly feels apt to me right now. This week as I’ve been wrapping up a few tasks, I’ve been sorting through old files and photos, stirring up memories of the people I’ve met through the years — the folks I’ve worked with and those I’ve interviewed. I’ve been thinking about the inspirational mentors who shared their passion for the job and who showed a young writer the importance of solid community ...