Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

Taken too young

The story of a young man’s death on Court Avenue and how a family fought for justice.

It was cold and gray and dreary when Lou, Ted and Ron Davidson drove through Glendale Cemetery on May 13. The temperature was in the lower 50s, but the blowing sheets of mist made it feel much colder. Winding the path — up, down and around — the three finally came to a stop alongside a headstone just off the beaten path.
“Steven James Davidson — 1950-1970.”
Nestled among the countless other graves that stretch beyond the hillsides, the memorial of Steve Davidson continues to touch the brothers’ hearts. But today, the visit to their sibling’s grave is eerily similar to the day on June 1, 1970, when they lost him in a downtown Court Avenue building collapse. It was a rainy, overcast afternoon 40 years ago when that tragic accident changed their lives forever.
“Steve was a great man who seemed like he had everything going for him,” said Ted. “There were four brothers in the family, and he seemed like he was the one who was always going to make it.”

Branstad’s money, and Shawn Crahan for Mayor

“Bruce Rastetter owns Terry Branstad,” a big-time Iowa Republican told Skinny the other day. But if that’s the case — if it’s based on campaign contributions — then Gary Kirke and Denny Elwell and Eldon Roth and Jan Krantz and Ed Ochylski are sizable investors.
That, at least, is the picture you get after scrolling through the 8,000 or so campaign contributors listed on the 780-page report Branstad filed with the Iowa Campaign Finance and Ethics Board for the reporting period that ended May 19. While he and Democrat Chet Culver raised about the same amount of money — $1,638,085 for Branstad and $1,478,042 for Culver — the way they raised it was remarkably different. Half of Culver’s came from the Democratic Governor’s Association and a big chunk came from labor, but the governor’s biggest personal contributions from within the state were $5,000 checks from just six individuals. In all, he had about 1,000 contributors, many from out of state....Read More>>

Motion City Soundtrack doesn’t miss a beat with healed drummer, new album

When Motion City Soundtrack’s drummer Tony Thaxton slipped off a curb following a New Year’s Eve party and broke his arm, it seemed like a bad break for the band, which was gearing up to relocate to Los Angeles to record its debut album for Columbia Records, “My Dinosaur Life.”
Six months later, after Thaxton underwent surgery and four months of physical therapy to regain movement and strength in his right arm, it appears as though it wasn’t such a downer after all. The delayed recording of Motion City Soundtrack’s long-awaited fourth album, “My Dinosaur Life,” not only afforded Thaxton time to recover so he could play on the album, but it allowed the band time to write more songs and to once again collaborate with Blink-182 bassist-producer-friend Mark Hoppus, who first worked with the group on its breakthrough album “Commit This To My Memory.” Hoppus previously wasn’t available to be in the studio when “My Dinosaur Life” was originally scheduled to be made...Read More>>

Ciao

Ciao brings a familiar local style to West Glen real estate where previous tenants failed to connect with the neighborhood. First Chicago’s “Crave Bar, Grill & Fondue Room” antagonized locals, suing one for trademark infringement even though she preceded them in town. Then “Graze — the Food Guru Experience” moved in from eastern Iowa. Des Moines’ food bloggers savaged that place, mostly resenting Vegas-style service that ranged from smarmy to rude. That assessment fit my experiences too when I felt I had stumbled into a nightclub without a bling badge.
On each of my visits to Ciao, up front service was as different from Graze’s as Des Moines is from Las Vegas. All customers were being asked where they would like to sit and even being made aware of fireplaces on a cold rainy night. Children were welcomed and senior citizens were treated with the same respect as décolletage busting hotties. Ostentatious design elements had been preserved, including red fantailed booths, spotlighted liquor cabinets, tall purple walls, and an open private room that hangs over the bar. Those things have been toned down though with paintings by local artists. Ciao also retained the best element of the previous tenant — cocktail methodology including freshly squeezed juices and syrups made from scratch daily.

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