Posted May 03, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
The month of May is national bike month. However, one of cycling’s most interesting stories is largely untold. Major Taylor Iowa bike club aims to change that. Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor is a name that isn’t often uttered in the same sentences as this country’s other most renowned Black athletes,
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Posted April 05, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
Felicia Coe became “Iowa Fly Girl” mostly by accident. Raised in Des Moines and recently arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, she was driving to work when she heard the news on the radio: A local aerial arts studio was celebrating its grand opening. “It was like, ‘That is crazy.’
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Posted March 01, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
Hypnotist encourages meditation for change. Bill Mogolov’s journey began in 2004. The owner of a successful video company in Clive, one of his customers approached him with an idea: why not share his business expertise with the inmates at the local women’s prison? He was hesitant at first but eventually
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Posted February 01, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
Lawyer showcases collection in Law Museum of Iowa. From the outside, the office building at 7900 Hickman Road looks like any other. But walk inside, and you’ll find a 2,000-square-foot courtroom packed full of history. The Law Museum of Iowa was created by Chris Johnston, founding partner of Law Group
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Posted January 04, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
Larry Carroll collects Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. Some people collect coins or stamps. Not Larry Carroll. Over the course of two decades, he has accumulated nearly 500 art tiles, each with its own distinct design. Created by Canadian artist Sid Dickens and known as Memory Blocks, the three-dimensional plaster tiles
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Posted November 30, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Full-contact sport on wheels When Katie Akin moved to Des Moines in 2019, she didn’t know a single soul in town. Then, in a Starbucks bathroom, she saw a poster advertising a local roller derby. It could be fun, she thought, so why not? Her first practice came with a
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Posted November 02, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Des Moines Curling Club promotes Olympic sport. Older than baseball, football and basketball, nicknamed the “Roaring Game” and “Chess on Ice,” it’s America’s favorite sport — it’s… curling? OK, it may not be on the forefront of every American’s mind, but if you’ve ever watched the Winter Olympics, you’ve probably come
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Posted October 05, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
You’ve probably heard of horseback riding, but hidden in the heart of Des Moines is an equestrian sport of a different kind. A newly formed drill team called Escaramuza Quetzalli is both breaking barriers and upholding cultural tradition. Charrería is recognized as the national sport of Mexico, evolving from herding
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Posted August 31, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
A large envelope stuffed with varying sizes of faded paper contains more than 50 years of music memories for Terry Bentall. Inside the envelope are dozens of half-torn concert ticket stubs, full-size tickets and — her latest — printouts of tickets for concerts she’s attended. One of the first concerts
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Posted August 03, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Jackson Twait is a four-time veteran on “American Ninja Warrior” (ANW), a sports reality show that pushes elite athletes to their limit on obstacle courses of insane difficulties. The 24-year-old first caught the Ninja itch back in eighth grade, but it wasn’t his first television aspiration. “I just saw it
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