The art awards were announced. “In 2D, second place goes to…, first place goes to…; in 3D,” etc. The crowd of artists held their breath in anticipation of Best of Show. It was obvious where [Read More…]
There’s a whole lot going on in this town right now- good and bad – and our main objective is to try to provide information that helps shape the debate. Every now and then we [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR Well, as you can probably gather from the pictures of your balding, aging, and, apparently, lost editor, I’ve been on a working vacation since Wednesday, and even though we literally grow [Read More…]
Ginnie calls it a “staycation.” Instead of going on a summer vacation, we stay at home and get things done—staycation. It’s fine with me. I’ve always been a home body (boy). I love our home, [Read More…]
June 16, 2019Response from the Slater Family: The Slaters were extremely disappointed in your ill-informed opinion piece. Has the Superintendent not earned any respect for her hard work and contributions to the community? The Superintendent [Read More…]
Spring storms have wreaked havoc on communities up and down the river this year, but we think a different kind of storm has been brewing in Fort Madison – and the first crack of lightning [Read More…]
We finally got our garden in, about a month late, we figure. There was way too much rain, and the ground was far too wet to do any tilling. What a spring! On the days [Read More…]
BY ETHAN LILLARD The band Cinderella said it best, ‘You don’t know what you got, til it’s gone’. Had to slip that reference in working at a rock station, you understand. That being said, I [Read More…]
Barney has disappeared. It happened on Mother’s Day (wouldn’t you know). Barney has always been my cat, because I’m the one who found and fed him. Cats remember. Barney was a great cat. He would [Read More…]
The last time I was in Jefferson, Iowa, I was six years old and had my tonsils out in the Greene County Hospital. They used ether back then as an anesthetic and it was a [Read More…]
Dan Williams wants to reclaim the name “Shecaqua” for the Skunk River. He is tall and slim, and at 72, looks more like a man in his fifties, which means he has energy and enthusiasm. [Read More…]
I’m From Dallas City, Il, so I knew where Fort Madison was and could actually navigate the city with relative ease. What I could not do however, was tell you how good the football team [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR For the first time I can recall, if ever, the Fort Madison High School held a signing day for seniors who have been accepted to college trade programs, full-time trades positions, [Read More…]
Blossom is not pregnant. The vet called with the results of the blood test. “Open,” he reported. Until recently, I didn’t even know what the term, “open” meant. So much for our beef raising days. [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR As state legislators rubbed their eyes after debating into the early morning hours Thursday, a bill was being sent to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds desk that will do little to increase [Read More…]
I got the first book where I get many of my books, from 89-year old Tommy Sinnott of Nauvoo. He’s my inspiration. The book, “Zealot, the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” by Reza [Read More…]
The best way to interview an octogenarian who walked 30,000 miles in 30 years (a thousand miles a year) is to go for a three-mile, early morning walk with him or her. But don’t think [Read More…]
I don’t want to keep droning on about it this…see what I did there…but this past week was a true adventure. And a lesson in what a good community this is. This idiot editor went [Read More…]
Barney purrs when he sleeps. I’m not kidding. I once put my ear to his chest when he was sleeping and he was purring. Thinking that he might be sensing my approach, I sneaked up [Read More…]
I arrived in Mt. Pleasant on a Sunday morning after driving all night. My 12-step sponsor in Colorado had told me, “The first thing you do when you get to Mt. Pleasant is go to [Read More…]
We were four deep from the stage to hear Bernie Sanders at the Memorial Union in Iowa City. A band was playing. We had another hour to wait. I didn’t know if my seventy-year old [Read More…]
Mayhem struck the Empty Nest Farm. I was a little late doing the morning chores. It wasn’t until 11:00 or so before I got out to feed Blossom and take care of the hens. Before [Read More…]
On Fridays they bowl, at 1:00 p.m. No napping for them! They are part of the 55+ League at Champion Bowl in Ottumwa. There are 60+ members of the over 55 league. Teams are cleverly [Read More…]
Two books, both on the New York Times Bestseller List, were given to me free: the first was “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren; and the second, “Radical Remission—Surviving Cancer Against All Odds,” by [Read More…]
Tough winter. I’ve fallen twice now doing chores, the first time breaking the eggs I had just gathered—that upset me more than the fall. I laid there for a couple of seconds on the ice, [Read More…]
Our outside temperature gauge told me it was -21° F at 2:00 a.m.–the time I usually get up to read and write. I could hear the wind howling outside and the house popping and banging [Read More…]
I woke up at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, actually I was up at like 5 because I got a couple of messages from people wanting doughnuts. Kiwanis is selling doughnuts and they wanted on the [Read More…]
The flight instructor asked Tom what he would do if he was going in for a landing and there was a horse in the middle of the runway. Tom thought for a moment and replied, [Read More…]
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso John Bloom’s exhibition, “Close to Home” was on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. It was a Tuesday, a day [Read More…]
On Friday, the Fort Madison High School inducted four well-deserving men into the Bloodhound Hall of Fame. Dick Burch, Jim Allen and Jay Skinner were brought into the Hall for their contributions to the athletic [Read More…]
The voice on the phone was of an elderly man. I could hardly understand him. “My name is Tommy Sinnott. I’m from Nauvoo, Illinois. I read your column. Have you ever read the book, ‘The [Read More…]
It was Christmas Eve. Mary Murphy, of Mt. Pleasant, was told to go outside to a car where there was a woman who needed help. At the car, a beat up old Ford, Mary discovered [Read More…]
Seven hundred sixty-three days and counting. Pen City Current will enter its third year of writing about the people of north Lee County on Dec. 6…. and we couldn’t be happier to still be here. [Read More…]
I read a lot. Most of my reading/writing is performed, orchestrated, conducted in the early morning hours when my mind is fresh, there are no interruptions, and I’m at the peak of creativity. To Ginnie’s [Read More…]
I’m going to toss out four books for consideration or consumption, like tossing out bones for the canine to choose from—one, two, maybe three, or all of them? It’s going to be cold and the [Read More…]
I can’t drive 55…or 65 for that matter, there’s just too much to do. This week I’ve made the mind-numbing trek to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on what will be three straight [Read More…]
November 3rd, 1989, 2:00 a.m., all alone, and blind drunk, I fell through the glass top of my coffee table, cut myself to smithereens, and almost bled to death. Like an Iowa tornado ripping through [Read More…]
Ginnie and I recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary. On October 10th, three years ago, Ginnie stepped out of the back door of our garage, strolled across the grass, to the music and singing of [Read More…]
Lee County Supervisor Gary Folluo rubbed his head in frustration at Tuesday’s board meeting as the county leaders worked through an issue about a maintenance shed that sits between two properties in Argyle. The building [Read More…]
Anyone traveling on US Highway 34, between Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield in the last few years, has no doubt noticed the political signs. They’re sort of belligerent, in your face, crude, and to be honest, [Read More…]
National Dog Day, which was in late August, right around Ginnie’s birthday, found Buddy a little worse for wear. It has been a bummer summer for the ole Buddy Boy. First of all, in July, [Read More…]
Brad Heald was still weed eating 45 minutes before his daughter’s wedding. He wanted everything to be perfect for his only daughter, Coral. To the wedding guests, everything was perfect. There was a beautiful display [Read More…]
In my generation, a four-year degree was the path often taken. “Get your degree” my mom would say. It took me a while to get my crap together, but I got it done. I graduated [Read More…]
It was snowing so hard Michael Lanman, from Keosauqua, could hardly see beyond the hood of his Schneider truck. Semis were crammed into the parking lot of the truck stop in Clear Lake every which [Read More…]
Randy Miller, a retired editor at the Burlington Hawk-Eye and former employee at the Daily Democrat, has an opinion piece in the Hawk-Eye Sunday morning. You can read it on their website at www.thehawkeye.com. Just [Read More…]
I had fielded one-too-many quips about my weight: “Really pack’n it on there, aren’t you?” This hurt my feelings, so I decided to do something about it. We have plenty of eggs with our dozen [Read More…]
Ginnie came to me bright and early the day before my birthday. “There’s an issue with Buddy.” “Ah, oh.” I didn’t like the sound of the word ‘issue.’ “Oh, what’s that?” I asked, trying to [Read More…]
To Pen City Current readers: It has recently been announced that the University of Iowa intends to dissolve their Labor Center. For almost seventy years the University of Iowa Labor Center has been built up, [Read More…]
I’ve known for a long time that there were bones under our hen house. A year ago this spring, when I was patching up the floor of the shed, getting ready to turn the shed [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG As an elected official, you have an inherent responsibility to keep the trust of the electorate and to do your best to represent those that cast a ballot in your favor. When [Read More…]
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