Along Our Way
The 2010 political season got off to a big start in our county seat town of Jefferson on Friday, Feb. 5. Candidates for two major statewide offices made appearances here, GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats & Democratic U.S. senatorial candidate Roxanne Conlin. Answering a question from Chuck Offenburger, after her talk and Q&A with the crowd, Conlin made a surprising disclosure – she doesn’t attend church. How’ll that play with Iowans?
[TO READ THE STORY, AND TO SEE THESE AND OTHER PHOTOS IN LARGER FORMAT, CLICK HERE]
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A conversation
COPING WITH CANCER
with the Offenburgers
Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins, follilcular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, and is undergoing treatment. We post updates weekly here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.
“Isn’t it amazing what prayers will do for you and how you feel and look at things? I just cannot understand how people can go through life without God and prayers. We will continue to say them for the both of you.”
FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.
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Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews
FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!
''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.
TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.
TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.
TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.
WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!
FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!
FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!
SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!
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Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey
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The Simple Serenity Farm
columns
Farm Photos, 2006 - 2008
Our Iowa News Digest
Along Our Way
What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?
Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.
Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm
We Offenburgers spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and a weather-enforced extra night at the home of Carla's sister Chris Woods and her family in Des Moines. It was a fun gathering that featured nine-month-old Arianna, the Woods' granddaughter, in the starring role!
Click here for larger format
Earlier photos in this series
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| POGGENSEE'S POSTCARDS
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Photographer Don Poggensee
has just completed a six day
photo expedition in spectacular
Yellowstone National Park.
Pictures by Iowa photographer Don Poggensee |
COMING UP IN IOWA
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We recommend the following, if you want to experience this state at
its best!
Feb. 12-13: Tanner Taylor, a top jazz pianist originally from Jefferson, returns to his hometown to perform. Friday night, 7-10 p.m., he leads a jam session at the Jefferson Depot. Saturday night, 7 p.m., he performs in concert at Jefferson-Scranton High School. He'll be accompanied by other top jazz musicians both nights. Both events are free and open to the public. For a complete story, look on our home page or click here.
Feb. 13: The 7th annual ''Chocolate Walk'' in downtown Perry, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Choco-grazing and fun browsing at several Perry stores. For details, click here.
Feb. 14: A special Valentine's Dinner at the excellent Classic Cafe in Malvern in southwest Iowa. Alaskan halibut, specially shipped in, with all the trimmings, plus a dessert of chocolate cake & cherries jubilee. $40 per couple, in a benefit for the Malvern Area Betterment Association. Sittings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Details and reservations, click here.
Feb. 20: Kevin Cooney, news anchor of KCCI-TV, is the guest speaker at the third annual membership banquet and fundraiser of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association. 6 p.m. at Panorama National Conference Center, north of Panora. For tickets and details, click here.
Every day: Go ice skating outdoors with spectacular surroundings at the Brenton Skating Plaza in downtown Des Moines. For details, click here.
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THE CONTINUOUS
IOWA CAUCUS
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We've now learned that Roxanne Conlin, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, doesn't go to church. If this becomes an issue, how would you advise her to handle it?
[SEE PAST RESULTS]
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| | Out in Greene County, Iowa |  Is anybody else feeling this? Is there a new consensus stirring in politics & government?
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER
February 5, 2010
COOPER, IOWA
What our columnist is hearing and reading is that we’ve all had about enough of hullabaloo and gridlock. Part of his thinking on this is shaped after conversations with Congressmen Tom Latham and Steve King, who attended last week’s House Republicans retreat where President Barack Obama spoke. It’s time, the writer says, for voters to realize we play a big role in encouraging candidates & office holders toward negotiation and cooperation. But there’s much more to it than “Kumbaya!” and “Can’t we all get along?” He’s got some specific ideas on how a voter can help make it happen, and he’d like to hear yours, too. ALSO, in a sidebar, we tell you about how fast Kathie Obradovich, the political columnist for the Des Moines Register, can “tweet” when she is covering political news events. [READ MORE] |
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| | My View from the Porch |  Adventures & lessons of five winter storms, starting with, “So how do we make coffee?”
By CARLA OFFENBURGER
January 27, 2010
COOPER, IOWA
A week ago, on January 20, we woke up to a huge ice storm that knocked-out our electrical power for more than 48 hours. We again learned a lot about life without electricity, heat and water. Then this past Monday, January 25, what was supposed to be a nice light snow turned into a raging 18-hour blizzard. Those kinds of storms make you realize that living in the countryside is a never-ending education – with occasional severe challenges. [READ MORE] |
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| | What's Carla Reading? |  ''The Help,'' a first novel by Kathryn Sockett,, has quickly hit No. 1 on the Best Sellers list
By CARLA OFFENBURGER
February 6, 2010
COOPER, IOWA
Sockett, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, uses her hometown as the setting for a story in the 1960s. A group of women, friends since their Ole Miss years, are now married, mothers of young children and society leaders. They essentially turn their kids over to ''the help'' -- black maids -- to raise them. One of the friends, unmarried, becomes an advice columnist for the local newspaper. She starts consulting some of the maids about how they do various tasks, and that gives the columnist disturbing insights about the lives of ''the help.'' There's trouble. [READ MORE]
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| | Tanner Taylor, another sensational jazz player from Jefferson, Iowa, is bringing it home for us | |  The 28-year-old native of this west central Iowa town is now regarded as one of the best jazz pianists in the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, he is playing coast-to-coast accompanying top touring vocalists. In March, he’ll be performing with the “Prairie Home Companion” cast during a week-long Caribbean cruise. But first, he and some of his pals who are pro jazz players are coming to the Jefferson area February 9-13 for clinics with the high school jazz bands, a Friday night jam session open to all, and a full concert on Saturday night – all free to the public. It’s a good time for us all to remember the amazing story of how he got his start here.
CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY, PHOTOS AND PERFORMANCE DETAILS |
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| | | | OFFENBLOGGER | Our perhaps peculiar views
of the happenings around us
GRAPPLERS & CAGERS TOGETHER? - Chuck O at 1/28/2010 1:41:58 PM
THEY ALL WANT TO ''FIGHT'' FOR US - Chuck O at 1/28/2010 9:39:36 AM
SHENANDOAH IS ON A REAL ROLL! - Chuck O at 1/27/2010 9:43:19 AM
HOTEL SHENANDOAH TAKING SHAPE! - Chuck O at 1/27/2010 9:42:09 AM
O DEER! WHAT'RE THEY UP TO NOW? - Chuck O at 1/26/2010 5:41:20 PM
NOW A FIFTH MAJOR WINTER STORM - Chuck O at 1/25/2010 8:50:47 AM
TO READ MORE, CLICK ON THIS LINK
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Featured Partner & Patron
| A coloring book for kids about Barack Obama
”Whispers of Greatness” by Chris Offenburger Walsh
Obama Coloring Book
434 29th Street Drive SE, #20
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Phone: 319-363-1828
cita512@aol.com
Veteran Cedar Rapids teacher Chris Offenburger Walsh, now an education consultant at the University of Iowa, decided that the personal story of President-Elect Barack Obama is so compelling that it needs to be told in a way that young children can understand.
Chris Offenburger Walsh |
Now, after the inspiring inauguration and as the Obama administration starts up, she has published “Whispers of Greatness,” a 10-page coloring book that she both wrote and illustrated.
“This is a story about dreams…,” it begins. It goes on to tell how Obama would draw inspiration from his grandmother, who would often would whisper to him, “All things are possible.” It takes him through his own education, his service as a community organization in Chicago, his service as an Illinois senator, and his “Yes, we can!” presidential campaign. It suggests that on inaugural day, he might have whispered to his daughters Malia and Sasha, “All things are possible!”
Chris, the youngest sister of Iowa writer Chuck Offenburger, says the book “is wonderful for classroom activities or home.”
You can buy it directly from her at the above postal address, phone number or e-mail address for $3 per book plus postage. Or you can buy it on Amazon.com for $4 plus shipping & handling.
Two of the pages from the ''Whispers of Greatness'' coloring book that tell the inspirational story of President-Elect Barack Obama.
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