Saddle up!
7/2/2025
“Turn the channel, Shane. That show is making the living room dusty.”
Those were my father’s words in one of his numerous attempts at humor while I was watching Silver and Scout kick up trail dust on “The Lone Ranger” TV show as a child. But Kemosabe, Tonto and their horses weren’t the only guests on our Zenith console TV in the 1970s. Roy Rogers and Trigger were there, too. And, with them were Dale Evans and Buttermilk. Wild Bill Hickok and Buckshot would make an occasional appearance, as well, as did the legendary Gene Autry and Champion.
These cowboys, their sidekicks and their horses were popular well before my time, but the reruns piqued my interest for much of my childhood years. When the shows were over, I would put on my cowboy hat, strap on my holster and fire my cap guns in our backyard. Yes, my heroes have always been cowboys. And, yes, I laughed at my dad’s corny jokes about the TV horses making the living room dusty.
The cowboy mystique was rampant well before the television set became commonplace, thanks in large part to a famous soldier, hunter and showman. William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, was one of the most famous figures of the Old West, performing in shows that displayed cowboy themes from the frontier.
In this month’s cover story, John Busbee shares Buffalo Bill’s connections to Iowa, to Des Moines and to our state fair. Saddle up — and prepare to get dusty.
CHOICE awards for 2025
Two restaurants, two owner-chefs and a sandwich are the latest to be honored in our CHOICE awards. Jim Duncan explains why these are all part of Iowa’s venerable, living food treasures and deserve to be recognized in CITYVIEW’s Hall of Iowa Culinary Excellence, now in our 11th year.
How malls are modifying
Most every business or industry has been impacted by online shopping in one way or another but possibly none more than traditional shopping malls. Cyote Williams researched what area malls are doing today and how their owners and operators are adapting to the needs and wants of today’s consumers.
You will find all this and much more in this issue of your locally owned CITYVIEW. As always, I thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
CITYVIEW
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.dmcityview.com
