|
|
|
| Cover
Story: Closed for small business |
|
Can small, independent businesses
survive in Des Moines?
by Michael Swanger
Small business owners, the backbone
of our economy, embody the American
Dream. They are the risk takers,
the innovators, the movers and
shakers. They work long, hard
days with little fanfare in exchange
for individuality and freedom
from corporate control. Their
do-it-yourself attitude is motivated
by their willingness to improve
their community, and, as many
have come to learn over the years,
as small business goes, so, too,
does the economy. >>
more
|
 |
|
|
| Jon Gaskell:
Sex offenders need publicists |
|
But ultimate hot potatoes could
look forever
Ball gags, yes. Mouthpieces, no. When
it comes to sex offenders getting a
good word in, sex offenders simply cannot
get a good word in.
After glossing over a few days of
Des Moines Registers from last week,
I couldn't help but notice that the
words "predator" and "sex
offender" were everywhere. None
of the stories were good. None of the
stories helped alleviate our fear. The
only thing anyone needed to know was
that the people involved are sexual
offenders - nothing more, nothing less.
I thought to myself, "These guys
need a good publicist." After all,
OJ Simpson might have cut off his wife's
head, but he also won the Heisman Trophy.
>>
more
|
|
| Civic
Skinny: Jail time |
|
PLA issue coming to a
head
County sources have let us know
that the PLA issue on the new
jail is coming to a head. The
latest news - Building Trades
leaders held meetings with Polk
County Supervisor John Mauro,
Polk County County Attorney John
Sarcone and Sarcone's assistant
Mike O'Meara. Apparently the Trades
offered to allow a neutral third
party (they suggested a retired
judge) to determine if the lawsuit
threatened by contractor organizations
if the county signed a project
labor agreement had any merit.
If the arbitrator would have determined
that the suit would block the
project, the unions would have
agreed to back off from their
request..... >>
more
|
|
|
| |
| Food
Dude : Lincoln High School |
|
By Jim Duncan
CVFDude@aol.com
 Nothing's
more predictable than complaints about
school cafeteria food, so initially
we wrote this year's gripes off. But
after they intensified, we visited Lincoln
High School to see what could have upset
so many people so much. Our memories
of Des Moines public school (DMPS) lunches
are quite pleasant. Graduation from
brown bagging in elementary school to
hot cafeteria meals at Callanan Junior
High still ranks with the greatest upgrades
of our dining life. We relished that
kitchen's creamed chicken on mashed
potatoes, beef and noodles, ham-and-bean
casserole and chili. All those standards
of our youth lend themselves well to
reheating, too. So we didn't understand
how DMPS's new Central Kitchen could
have caused people to complain about
degraded quality. Too bad they don't
grade us for naiveté. >>
more |
|
|
| Scene
Scribe : Jazz hall of fame |
|
By Michael Swanger
michael@dmcityview.com
 Jazz
veterans to be inducted into jazz hall
of fame; Bill Stewart to attend
Des Moines may not be the Village Vanguard,
but it has its share of legendary musicians,
four of whom will be inducted into the
Des Moines Jazz Hall of Fame this weekend
in Altoona.
On Sunday, the Community Jazz Center
will host the fifth annual ceremony,
which includes a reception and concert
by local musicians at Adventureland
Inn in Altoona. Inductees include 81-year-old
guitarist Ben Harrison (Younkers Tea
Room, Greenbrier Restaurant), trumpeter
Jerry Stenstrom (Ralph Zarnow, Keith
Killinger and Everett Boyer orchestras),
pianist-singer Scott Smith (Ann Margaret,
George Burns) and the late trombonist
Steve "Toad" Stewart (Buddy
Morrow Orchestra, longtime Carlisle
school teacher), whose acclaimed jazz-drumming
son Bill Stewart (John Scofield, Pat
Metheny) will be in attendance to pick
up his father's award. >>more
|
|
|
| City
Sounds : The real deal |
|
By Michael Swanger
michael@dmcityview.com
 Honky-tonk
hero Billy Joe Shaver's songs
reflect his wild side and gut-wrenching
tales of heartbreak
The title of Billy Joe Shaver's
new album, "The Real Deal,"
is a statement of the obvious
to those familiar with the country
music outlaw, though sadly, many
are not. Like his poetically blunt
songs, his life is full of heartbreak
and drama. And though he hasn't
enjoyed mainstream success like
the big-name artists who have
recorded his songs, it appears
as though the 66-year-old Shaver
who walked on the wild side and
lived to tell about it in songs
like "Georgia On A Fast Train,"
"Old Five and Dimers Like
Me" and "Live Forever"
is getting some overdue praise.
>>more
|
|
|
|
|
