Winners

To those who understand the true meaning of Dec. 25 and who share their joy to brighten the lives of others, we wish you a Merry Christmas.

The $15 million investment in the renovation of Drake Stadium by Drake University and the Greater Des Moines community continues to pay dividends. Last week, Drake President David Maxwell announced that the school and city would join forces to welcome nearly 2,000 athletes to Drake Stadium for the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held June 23-27. The event will help the USATF select athletes to represent the United States in outdoor international competition and should have an economic impact on our community.

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa’s annual Pottery for Prevention fundraising event last month netted more than $62,000, a record amount, as more than 350 people attended the event at the Scottish Rite Consistory Building in downtown Des Moines. Kudos to those who purchased pottery and the Iowa artists and local celebrities who designed them as the money will be used to benefit the 56,000 Iowa children and 10,000 or so adults the group serves.

The Des Moines Arts Festival was named in the 2008 list of the nation’s Top 10 Fairs and Festivals in the fourth annual poll of readers of AmericanStyle magazine. The 2008 festival will be held June 27-29 in Des Moines’ Western Gateway Park.

Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley earned the Eddie Robinson Award, the prize for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision’s top coach. Farley led the Panthers to a 12-1 record.

Losers

The release of the Mitchell Report last week was one of the darkest days in Major League Baseball history. The well-publicized event sent shock waves through the baseball world when star players like seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens [You’d have to be a racist in denial to be surprised the 45-year-old used HGH. Did you honestly believe his workouts alone helped him cheat the aging process?], Andy Pettitte, Mo Vaughan, Paul LoDuca, Miguel Tejada, Lenny Dykstra and Eric Gagne were mentioned in the report. No one, of course, was surprised to read the names of Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire. Remember, these were just the ones who were caught — only a fraction of the users experts suspect. And while the pundits sort out what kind of — if any — punishment should be doled out and who is to blame [note: it’s the players, coaches, trainers, owners, commissioner Bud Selig and baseball media] the more shocking revelation is the amount of mediocre players like Glenallen Hill, Kent Mercker and Howie Clark — not to mention forgettable Iowa Cubs players Matt Franco, Chris Donnels and Brendon Donnelly — who were using steroids. Talk about two time losers. Have you seen their stats?

The Iraq war has proven to be costly in so many ways to Iowans, but a research group has revealed the expense in terms of dollars in a recent study. The National Priorities Project, a taxpayer watchdog group, reports that Iowans have already paid $3.5 billion to fund the war, according to a study that provides the cost of war for each state and congressional district. The total Iraq war price tag for Iowans could rise to $4.7 billion next year with President Bush’s request for an additional $155 billion in war spending, the group said. The amount doesn’t include the additional millions Iowa taxpayers will pay for returning veterans’ long-term physical and mental care needs. Among the cities in Iowa helping pay the bill, Des Moines led the way with $228 million, followed by Cedar Rapids at $158 million and Davenport at $109 million. Imagine what kind of improvements we could make with that money, ranging from health care and affordable housing to teachers pay and public safety.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership unveiled its 2008 state legislative agenda last week. Among the items on its wish list was property tax equity for businesses, noting “Iowa’s current property tax system places an increasingly undue burden on commercial and industrial properties, the Partnership supports the development of a simplified property tax system that is equitable to all classes of property…” We understand the Partnership’s role in promoting business. Fine. But what about the tax-paying consumers who would have to pay more at the register to pare down property taxes for homeowners and large businesses like Wellmark and Principal.

If you think the notion of implementing a volunteer school uniform policy to all schools in West Des Moines is silly, then write the West Des Moines school district to tell them. The district is using Jordan Creek Elementary School as a test model for the plan and has asked parents for their input. If it passes at Jordan Creek, the district wants to expand the program to all schools. Send your remarks to School Uniforms, Jordan Creek Elementary School, 4105 Fuller Road, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265. CV

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