Posted November 01, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
West Des Moines collection of sequential art is still growing Stored in the heart of Scott Wirth’s West Des Moines basement are 18,000 comic books. Wirth, now in his 40s, began collecting as a child, and during the last four decades he has amassed quite a collection. His lifelong passion
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Posted October 04, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Stay-at-home mom uses her garage studio to make ceramics Shorty after ancient nomads discovered fire, historians suspect mankind began using clay to form water-carrying vessels. As such, pottery is millions of years old, and it is one of the oldest decorative arts known to man. Pottery is also known as
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Posted September 06, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
The mystery of how to stay warm, cozy and calm is unraveled They knit with each other, on their own, online or as a social activity. They knit at traffic lights, while watching the big game, at home, on the road and anywhere in between. Wherever these yarn lovers are,
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Posted August 02, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Krav Maga allows a man to walk in peace “Krav Maga is not necessarily a fighting system but a problem-solving system when the problem is violence,” says Paul Noreau. Noreau, 50, lives in Ankeny and works downtown in the insurance industry. Seven years ago, as he entered middle age, he
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Posted July 05, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
A one-of-a-kind cello As a 6 year old, Ashley Sidon’s cello was bigger than she was. The youngster despised practicing, and she resented her instrument. She often daydreamed of destroying her big wooden burden. In her mind, she would carry it to the highest point of her childhood home and
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Posted June 01, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Eyes on the prizes Lew Arntz, if you are looking for your glasses, they aren’t on the top of your head. Instead, they’re on display at the home of Charles Ericson. Arntz’s eyewear isn’t Ericson’s only extra set, either. The Ankeny optician sells eyewear in his working hours, and he
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Posted May 03, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Rob Kuhn has a love like that “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah…” When the immortal Beatles lyrics above played on the car radio four decades ago, Rob Kuhn was hooked. “I was like, this song is great,” he remembers. Riding skateboards and tossing the football had previously been his
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Posted April 05, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Not done making noise Interesting conversation with Chris McAninch is easy. He makes his own whiskey, used to sell guns, and he patented the Handi-Racker — a product that helps manipulate the slide on a semi-automatic pistol, thus making it easier to fire. But when McAninch wants to really liven
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Posted March 01, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Dumpster diving with Dr. Vote “Do you know everything that’s in here?” That’s the question to John Olsen, a collector of political campaign memorabilia who is widely known as “Dr. Vote” for his stockpile of sometimes rare, fun and non-partisan “Get Out The Vote” items. Olsen thinks for a moment
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Posted February 01, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
Some might say Randy Bieghler is sick. The Des Moines native works in IT, he has a family, and he generally appears to be a regular person — until he reveals that he roots for cold weather. “My wife would say I’m an ice fishing fanatic,” he laughs. “I enjoy
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