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You might be boujee but don't be hinky

Local Columns

Back in the 1950s we would describe something very good or nice as “swell.” It was a slang word, one of many. We called a small child an “ankle biter.” The hipsters used “Daddy-O” as a term of endearment. And while I was still a pre-teen, I had a foggy idea of what “back seat bingo” meant. A decade later — during the 1960s — we had another round of slang. Something that was excellent or beyond description was “far out.” We loved to refer to something new, exciting or fashionable as “groovy.” And something that was relaxing or care-free was “mellow.” I ...

The man who hatched a business

Local Columns

I know I don’t speak for all of us, but there are times when the seemingly infinite number of choices we have become overwhelming. Just go to a “big box” store and look for a simple tube of toothpaste. Please don’t get me wrong; I fully appreciate not having to settle for a single kind ...

You should read Sarah Brewer-Bonebright's historic book; it's online

Letters to Editor

To the Editor: We are all enjoying the more expanded Turning Back the Pages of Time sections in the newspaper. The recent one about Sarah Brewer-Bonebright’s book “Reminiscences of Newcastle, Iowa 1848 — a History of the Founding of Webster City,” Iowa sparked a reminder that this book can be read and printed out for free on the internet. The many people interested in Webster City history should read it if they can. It is important that we know where we came from now that it seems the land where the founders of Webster City lived might be heading in a different direction, ...

We must save what's left of our historic buildings

Local Columns

We must save what’s left of our historic buildings. Why? Because they are a crucial part of this community’s identity. How we treat them, how we leave them — or don’t leave them — will be our legacy. I say this because now another of Webster City’s downtown historic buildings is in trouble. The City of Webster City identified visible exterior problems at 547 Second Street, an iconic commercial edifice that was built in 1890 and was, for many years, the Coulter Paint Store. An unsafe building sign has been posted and barricades set up along the southwest corner of ...

Ed Snow was resilient, and then some

Local Columns

Have you ever had a time in your life when you ran into the perfect person to lift you out of a slight funk? A time when you may be having, dare I say, a bit of a “pity party?” It seems that an accident I had some years ago — as in 1977 — has, after all this time, reared up and I’ll ...

Playing with Julie's grandkids

Local Columns

We had some special guests in our home recently. All five grandkids (and their parents, of course) spent a weekend with us. They all live at least four hours away so we don’t see them frequently. These are Julie’s grandchildren but she lets me play with them. The grandkids range in age from five to 13. In fact, the oldest, Eliza, celebrated her 13th birthday the second day they were here. I first met Eliza when she was nearly 3 years old. I remember this curly-haired toddler with whom I helped build “towers” with wooden blocks. We interrupted block-playing for supper. As ...