February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 1
Local people, places and events hit the target in our 2020 Best Of Des Moines readers’ poll. The Best Of Des Moines Awards act as all great democracies should. There is no unelected oligarchy pulling strings and artificially orchestrating wrong-headed outcomes. Instead, the choice belongs to you, the many, the
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 2
Iowa Barnstormers enter 2020 with a new coach and some big shoes to fill. Semi-pro indoor football is a fast-paced game of constant change. Just when you thought a battle has been won, it isn’t. On a 60-yard field, with eight players per team, leads disappear faster than a can
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Business Feature
Here is what every business owner should know about licensing. Businesses and music have been intertwined for years. As part of an overall marketing effort, businesses create ambiance and atmosphere through the use of music to influence customers’ moods and buying habits. The National Restaurant Association says music choice can
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Civic Skinny
No one seems to have noticed — there’s not even a press release on the website — but Matt McCoy was elected chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors last month. Ordinarily, that would hardly be worth more than half a paragraph, for the Democrats won control of the
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Political Mercury
“Step aside, hick,” the urban Democrats can tell us. Talented rural Democratic candidates for the Iowa Statehouse with deep wells of connectivity in their communities — like Stuart’s Warren Varley, Manning’s Peter Leo and Rippey’s David Weaver — went down to defeat by muscular margins in their 2018 election bids
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Film Review
Guy Ritchie’s latest film is a rehashed pastiche of a bygone era. Make no mistake: “The Gentlemen” is classic Guy Ritchie. Scoundrels of all sorts cross paths in an ever-widening web of crime, with sequences full of fast dialogue and fast cuts. But, while there is plenty of action and
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Food Dude
Restaurants here mostly known for unexpected delights rather than fine-dining superstars. University Avenue is chock full of happy eating surprises. Many of those are hidden away in real estate that entices the initiated rather than the drive-by diner. This is the street of the precisely named Fast Mart & Chester’s
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Your Neighbors
And other Terrace Hill treasures “I taught for 45 years,” says Patrick Phillips-Schrock. As his official retirement date zoomed ever closer, he remembers wondering what was next. “This was my last year, and I thought, ‘Oh, what am I going to do now?’ ” Des Moines’ first millionaire is thought
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Joe's Neighborhood
Teaching was David’s thing. Music was David’s thing. And equality was David’s thing. “There were giants in the earth in those days.” Genesis 6.4. Yup, that’s what the Bible says — giants. The heroes of long ago. The great men and women of the past. Solid folks. People you could
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February 05, 2020 by Brent Antisdel
in Center Stage
With a show… or two…or more. The beauty of living in a land of rugged winters is finding the indoor options that beckon to sweep us into compelling stories, rollicking comedies or even interactive experiences. February is filled with plenty of options, from national touring productions on the Civic Center
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