We live in a time of stunning transformations. In recent weeks, we’ve seen Bruce Jenner transition from a male Olympic medalist to Caitlyn Jenner, a self-assured woman gracing the cover of Vanity Fair. Then there’s Rachel Dolezal, the ex-president of the Spokane, Washington, chapter of the NAACP. She lived as
Read More →Michael Gartner’s reprinted 2006 tribute to his father (Civic Skinny, June 18) remains timeless and interesting. It got me thinking. While all of us are great-grandsons to someone the second we are born, it takes future generations to give us the opportunity to become fathers, grand and great. Mike Rowley -Clive
Read More →Intrigued by the mention of the 1,382,855 ranked book by Michael Gartner, “Outrage, Passion and Uncommon Sense,” in last week’s Civic Skinny column, I quickly Google searched the subject. I found a 14-minute CSPAN2 video with the author. It was fascinating. I immediately ordered the book. Now I am half
Read More →After reading Civic Skinny last week (June 4, 2015), let me see if I understand this correctly. The husband (James Conlin) of a past Democrat nominee for governor (Roxanne Conlin) is suing the city of Des Moines (whose city council has been controlled by Democrats for more than five decades).
Read More →Ninety years ago, Prohibition was a prevailing illusion. Today’s illusions are different. Law enforcement has broken down, especially at the top. Once again, so many in politics and the media cannot face the new age. Demographers estimate the total world population at about 200 million during the time of Jesus.
Read More →Civic Skinny (May 21) brought me down with the accurate but depressing news of lawsuits involving apes, city trees, lawyers, the IRS and Central College. Then Cityview informs us that The Des Moines Register reporter’s reported taste test at Jethro’s never took place (Comment, A Reporter Lies, May 21). Could Cityview at least tell readers
Read More →The latest April job numbers came in last week and added a respectable 223,000 new jobs driving the unemployment rate, which is down to 5.4 percent, the lowest since March 2008. That current rate is down by half from the peak of 9.9 percent. Under the leadership of President Obama,
Read More →Some might wonder whether Des Moines City Councilwoman Christine Hensley might have taken Cityview’s April Fools edition of the Locker Room article by “Dive Riley” a bit too serious. Readers may recall the tongue in cheek article reported a golf tournament in Woodland cemetery to help fund council member pay
Read More →For all the hype about gay marriage and things like Indiana’s religious freedom law, I find it quite odd that America is so infatuated about Bruce Jenner’s sex change. Is anyone else tired of seeing his ever-morphing ugly mug on the cover of every magazine while standing in line at
Read More →Twelve years ago, we set out with our young children to spend a weekend at Clear Lake, anticipating camping, swimming, canoeing and building sand castles. When we arrived, the lake was closed due to high bacterial rates that could cause illness should the water be ingested. Our young kids were
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