Around Des Moines

As I got into my car and noticed the spot on my windshield, I was reminded of that famous old country song:
There was bird poop on my window and my dog just up and died.

But once I got to the Arie den Boer Arboretum at Des Moines Water Works Park, I cheered up. What a beautiful day in Des Moines - about 60 degrees with a nice breeze - and a perfect day to be outside. The Purple Wren and I spent about an hour wandering through the crab apple trees appreciating all of the colors and shapes. The DMWW website tells us there are 300 varieties and that we are at the peak of the flowering season.

Try to find a few minutes to spend time there this week. Take your lunch.

The floods of 1993 put the Arboretum underwater for long enough that most of the crabapples were destroyed and needed to be replaced. At the time I was working in the Drake University Chemistry Department with Carolyn Trepka (now Walling) a Grinnell College graduate. Carolyn suggested that our department chip in and buy a replacement tree so we did. The tree is still there, and it’s tagged with the department’s name.

Anyone can buy and dedicate a tree in honor or memory of whomever or whatever you like. It’s less painful to chip in with a big group since the cost is $200, but you can still be proud to give back to community. Most people honor the memory of a loved one.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

Technorati Tags: Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Water Works Park

Neither rain nor seasonly-limited produce kept people from the first downtown farmers’ market of the year in Des Moines on May 10, 2008. Rhubarb, a few leaves of spinach, some young garlic, greenhouse tomatoes, and a bit of asparagus from Polk City were the local fruits and vegetables for sale. One vendor clearly labeled out-of-state produce. There were plenty of bakeries, a few wineries, meat producers, and value-added agricultural businesses with booths. Most of the people I saw making purchases were waiting for warm food prepared for immediate consumption.

There are several residents of Des Moines who believe the best economic plan for the city would include no zoning laws. Seeing several signs with rules scattered around the market this year, I kept thinking about the idea that too much legal restriction leads to economic contraction. On the public side of the market, there are instructions on how dogs should behave and times when vendors must start and stop selling. On the business side of the market, there is a new application process that requires vendors to apply online and submit photographs of every type of item to be included with instructions that they cannot depart from that list at all. There may be good reasons for all of these attempts at control; nevertheless, they threaten to squeeze the vitality of experimentation out of the market.

One of the new cottage industries that made it onto this year’s vendor list is Beaverdale Confections Co. You can buy blocks of gourmet marshmallow, lollipops (marshmallows on a stick), and hot cocoa gift boxes. The Kahlua marshmallow was a well-balanced taste but there was competition between the smooth creaminess of the Kahlua and the granular chewiness of the marshmallow. The coconut and marshmallow combination offered uniformity in textures and sweetness. These are not the air-puffed marshmallows sold in most grocery stores.

Often what I find most useful about the downtown market is learning about the many non-profit and political events happening around the city. At the May 10th market, I picked up literature for Walk Now for Autism, talked with Rep. Leonard Boswell’s (D-3rd District) primary challenger, and learned more about Bike to Work Week.

Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 by the grandparents of a child with autism. The organization informs about, funds research into, and advocates on issues related to autism. The Iowa Walk Now for Autism fundraiser will take place June 7, 2008 in Gray’s Lake Park.

Ed Fallon was shaking hands and talking with voters so I took the opportunity for an impromptu interview. I asked him how the campaign was going. He replied, “good,” then talked about Boswell’s refusal to debate and linked that to democratic injustice. I asked Fallon if he thought Boswell’s campaign mailings and his own personal appearances did not satisfy democracy. The challenger said people want to see the two candidates side-by-side, answering the same issues.

Bike to Work Week Project Coordinator Tina Hadden said over 1600 people have registered, which is nearly 300 more than last year. Approximately 70% of the registrants are in the greater Des Moines area. Most of the remaining 30% are in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor. There are several events being held in Des Moines during the week, which officially runs from May 10th through the 16th. Hadden said the new Johnston trail allowed a bicyclist to miss beating a motorist by only a couple minutes on an annual race from Johnston to downtown Des Moines. Registering helps bicyclist activists to demonstrate support to elected officials for bicycle-friendly polices.

M.R. Field covers local events for AroundDesMoines.com.

Last weekend a few people had to pull a groundhog out of his burrow to check on winter. This weekend will feel like winter with -7 deg (Fahrenheit) forecast for Saturday’s overnight low. As this is American Heart Month, have a heart for those people who walk and run in this weather and make sure sidewalks are clear of snow and ice. That includes going the extra step and making sure the curb cuts near your home or office are passable. Don’t forget the snow dams that are created along alleys and driveways. Friday afternoon will mark 48 hours after the snow stopped and in Des Moines that means the sidewalks are supposed to be walkable. The city number to call to report non-compliant address is (515) 283-4950.

Throughout this past week I kept hearing about activities for this weekend. Then as the week progressed and my work load increased, I began to forget what I had heard. Notes do not help when I don’t remember where I put the various pieces of paper.

If you have not yet seen Enchanted April at the Des Moines Playhouse (831 42nd Street) this is the last weekend for the play. It’s also worth seeing a second time if you want to dream of lands farther south and much warmer. Show times are on Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, February 10th, at 2:00 p.m. Tickets cost $24-$34, or $20 for students.

If you don’t find the right garden items at the Home and Garden Show, you might have better luck at the Botanical Center (909 Robert D. Ray Drive). Friday through Sunday it is holding a Spring Ahead Festival. There are numerous seminars from which to choose at a cost of $20 each ($10 for members). These include sessions on bonsai and on orchids, as well as on Asian calligraphy. On Saturday, February 9, 2008, the Volunteer Advisory Council is holding its annual Scented Geranium and Rosemary sale from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Then on Sunday it is time for Botanical Blues with Janey Hooper from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; cost is $4. The blues series, originally scheduled for 8 weeks has now been extended into March.

Genghis Blues is playing at the State Historical Museum (600 East Locust) on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The museum’s literature describes this show as “a film bout exploration and friendship.” It is a story about Paul Pena. Blind and playing the blues, he discovered throat singing in 1995 and eventually won a competition. The cost is $5, or $4 if you bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank of Iowa.

There are numerous literary, athletic, and general entertainment events around the city, as there are every weekend. On Monday, February 11th, there will be a couple special events. It will be the launch of Iowa’s celebrations honoring Abraham Lincoln on his 200th birthday (February 12, 2009). Look at the inset for more details.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. She encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com.

Even apartment dwellers can find items of interest at the 2008 Des Moines Home and Garden Show. Going beyond decorative arts, talk with the people from Habitat for Humanity. Maybe you meet the critera to receive a house, or you could volunteer to help build one. You might pick up enough skills that you could buy an older house and fix it up.

There are plenty of toys for sale, if your yard is big enough and your checkbook fat enough. However, there is another way to approach the show. As you walk through the exhibit areas, ask yourself what is most important to you in a house and yard. Is it the size of the lawn? There are lawn mowers to ride and to push, but I didn’t see any of the rotary kind. Is it room to put in a hot tub and a sauna? You can select your favorite style or discover that a well-outfitted bathroom is sufficient. Is your desire a fireplace that also serves as a casual dining area so it will fit in a smaller house? You’ll find some on display. Perhaps your priority is merely the quality of the product and the pleasure of staying home regardless of the size of the house or yard.

Schaal Heating & Cooling, located at 2701 Sixth Avenue, has a humidifier that connects to a furnace. It will provide moisture to a house whether its 800 square feet or 3,000 sf. It needs a filter change about once a year and for the owner to remember to flip a switch from summer to winter and vice versa.

If you like owning a house but aren’t excited about all the chores, Springer Home Solutions has a handyman service. The company was founded in 1989 and local Sales Manager Harold Wilkinson has been with it since 1991. You’ll hear a lot of bragging at the show and Wilkinson did not disappoint. He said Springer is “the company you can know and trust.” You may already know the company for its pest control services but it can help you put up your winter weather gear and take it back down in the spring.

If your idea of the proper home is a greenhouse, check out a new exhibitor. Simply Solar Greenhouses are made out of fiberglass. They come in one shape and two sizes. The larger one is preferred by people who insist on having fresh fruits and vegetables most of the year. The smaller building is used by gardeners who don’t want to hassle with taking their plants inside the regular house for the cold months. Formerly Solar Prism Greenhouses, the structures are manufactured in Bell City, Missouri. They are set four inches into the ground and can withstand a straight wind up to 80 mph.

With your bags full of literature, pick up some wine and head home to plan your next move. I liked Grape Escape’s Simply Blush, as well as the Pleasantivlle winery’s name and marketing materials.

M.R. Field covers news and events in Des Moines for AroundDesMoines.com. 

A few people made it across snow-covered streets and sidewalks to visit the Des Moines Home and Garden Show on opening afternoon. Ann Ching braved even worse. She flew in from southern California, via a delay in Houston, through nasty turbulents as thunderstorms and related weather events shook southern states. Her landing at the Des Moines airport was uneventful but heading into downtown during the early morning hours, she said all she could see was the white of snow. Ching is at the show for Aroma Sensations, Inc. It is her first trip to Des Moines.

The show covers three floors and includes a wide range of vendors. Aroma Sensations and another exhibitor, C/D Enterprises, sell essential oils to help with headaches and other ailments. There are vendors who can sell you kitchenware, hot tubs or saunas, garden water features, landscaping services, indoor or outdoor furniture, reverse osmosis water systems, heating and cooling systems, maintenance services, art and other decorating options, and all sorts of materials for your house from the roof to the basement. There are also lending companies to help you pay for your dreams. You can even find out how all the solid and yard waste you generate is used at the Metro Waste Authority’s booth.

There are vendors who are new to the show this year and others who have been coming for more than two decades. What they all have in common is that they want to talk with you. Steve Banks of Central Iowa Fire Safety is one of the new exhibitors. He is based out of Boone and offers education first then sells products as needed. He visits with people in their homes and discusses items such as having a fire evacuation plan and proper placement of heat or smoke alarms. One of the long-term vendors had my favorite visual items of the show.

Ed Benz, owner of The Frontier Furnishings Company in Alton, Illinois, started out making Adirondack chairs and now offers handcrafted cedar garden furniture designed with multiple seasons in mind. My mind told me to look at the traditional-style picnic table made from recycled materials that Champlin Tire Recycling, Inc. of Concordia, Kansas, sells. My heart told me to dream of a house on a Caribbean island where I could place Benz’s bar and stools. Benz has been exhibiting at the show since the early 1980s. Some of his furniture is designed so the seats fold up and the table folds down to store compactly under its own cover during the winter months.

If you believe the outdoors should stay outside, you may want to chat with Mike Paine.  Squirrels in attics and skunks under stoops are the most common problems Paine solves during this time of year. He has a background in environmental health and safety and has trapped for fur.  He started Complete Wildlife Control, LLC a couple years ago after his job was eliminated. He will take on moles, bats, and raccoons, among other creatures. I asked him for his best story. He told me of a woman in a town southeast of Des Moines who left her home for a couple hours only to discover a four-foot snake skin in her bathtub when she returned. Turns out she had six corn snakes enjoying the warmth to be found within the walls of her house.

Wine and other Iowa products can be bought on the first floor of Hy-Vee Hall. Celebrity rooms are on the upper floor of Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The majority of booths are spread out across the main floors of the two buildings.

M.R. Field covers news and events in Des Moines for AroundDesMoines.com. 

A couple days ago a Crossroads Conference was held in Des Moines to allow musicians, filmmakers, and other creative individuals in Iowa an opportunity to network and to attend developmental workshops. Since the 2007 state legislature passed tax breaks for filming in Iowa, I wonder how many of the presidential campaign ads now running on Iowa television stations were made in Iowa.

Yesterday DART and Drake University announced that the school would pay a flat fee to the transit service. In exchange, students and staff merely need to show their Drake identification to ride the buses. Earlier this year, DART started a similar program for employees of the public schools system. Such third-party fare payer arrangements concern me. However, if the single-payer agreements attract riders that could solve the ultimate problem with public transit systems. Namely, how do you pull in riders to establish more routes and greater frequency without first operating buses or light rail along those routes? The challenge for DART is to have a plan to use those single-payer agreements to build relationships with long-term, single-fare passengers.

After Thanksgiving, Jordan Creek Mall, on the western side of West Des Moines, claimed to have had 190,000 visitors in one day. In contrast, the attendance at Easter Lake in the southeastern part of Des Moines was put at 300,000 for an entire year, according to the May-August 2005 issue of Nature News from the Polk County Conservation Board. A quick search using the Internet shows the greater metropolitan area as having a population of between 456,000 and 522,400, but no definition of the metropolitan area was provided with those numbers. The area has been defined as three, five, or seven counties depending on the source of data. Even if the higher number is used, Jordan Creek Mall’s claim means that 2 out of every 5 residents visited that particular mall on Black Friday.

Jordan Creek Mall is technically Jordan Creek Town Center, just as another shopping complex in West Des Moines is called West Glen Town Center. This is the lexicon of modern community development. The idea is to build a town center in which people can walk and have a community life. Calling malls where spending money is the expectation town centers helps to confuse the discussion. Town centers need libraries and public meeting space in addition to shops. Most importantly, town centers should have a mix of apartments and single-family homes with yards nearby and there should be open air. Developers have found that people like to live in these planned communities. My biggest objection to these so-called walkable communities is that they often are designed where neighbors half-a-mile away must cross major roadways to reach them.

The lesson, I suppose, is that we should fill in Easter Lake and build a new mall-like Town Center there. Not only would the annual use dramatically increase, we might even get bus service to stop at the lilac arboretum in Ewing Park.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. 

As the social summer season neared in May, I took pictures of the rose
garden in Greenwood Park for this web site. I also reported on how the
plants were doing around the Fourth of July. Now that the celestial summer
season has ended, I visited the park again. As I write this, I realize that
I forgot to check the level of Walnut Creek along the Bill Riley bicycle
trail. Upstream from the trail head, pebbles in the creek bed were visible
from Grand Avenue a week ago. The creek’s waters had risen past flood stage
in May, covering the trail.

A tree stump that had been in the sidewalk leading from the parking area to
the garden has been removed and the pathway patched. The flowers were past
their prime, at least in quantity. There were a few prime specimen still to
be appreciated. A map to the garden’s layout and a guide to its history was
available from a mailbox-style dispenser near the northern part of the
garden.

According to the pamphlet from the Park and Recreation Department, the
garden was dedicated in May 1933. Amos Emery of Des Moines designed the
pillars, benches, and flagstone walks. General plans for the garden were
prepared by landscape architect Harlan Bartholomew and completed by Harold
Parnham. The passing decades took their toll but the Greenwood Park Rose
Garden Advisory Committee has been working to reinvigorate the garden for
about the past 25 years.

On the first day of autumn, the middle third of the garden was the most
colorful. It was here that the Brass Bands were among the first roses to
bloom in May and are among the last to be blooming in September. Most of the
plants in the southern third were close to exhausting their production of
flowers for the year. In the northern part of the garden, Bride’s Delight
roses had grown large and were showing their ages along the edges but they
still carried a blush of delicate pink beauty in their hearts.

The Earth Songs were probably my favorite, or near favorite, flower of the
day. It seems appropriate to honor them on the day of an equinox. They are a
hybrid tea developed in 1973 from the cross of Music Maker and Prairie Star.
They were produced by Griffith Buck at Iowa State University, have a
rose-pink double flower, and are resistance to cold and to disease.

If you wish to help support the rose garden financially, you may make a tax
deductible contribution to the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation at
1915 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309. Be sure to specify that your
support is for the Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden at Greenwood Park Fund.
The garden was named after the Mills in 2002. If you would like to offer
assistance of another type, call the Park and Recreation Department at (515)
237-1386.

Related posts: Deer, Floods, and Roses and A PSA and Roses

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Move to Des Moines and you will soon hear stories about the flood of 1993. Live here a few months and you will be surprised there isn’t more flooding given the high humidity. Wait a bit and someone will start talking about the mud flats on the Des Moines River that regularly added to the aroma of downtown in September before dams were installed. How does the summer of 2007 compare?

August brought many days and nights of rain across the northern half of Iowa. The ground was saturated and sewers overtaxed. Creeks and rivers rose and water did not drain from streets. People were evacuated from their homes and some municipal water supplies became unusable. Few of those rain
showers, or similar ones in the southern half of Iowa, crossed over Des Moines. The humidity in the city was high, though, and was at tropical levels for several days.

Flowers in the city continued to bloom and to attract butterflies, while mushrooms grew thick and strong among blades of grass. (The picture shows scenes from the western part of Des Moines on August 22.) The flood waters from northern Iowa were rushing through Des Moines on August 24 (pictured, left) and 25 (right), as seen from the Walnut and Locust Streets bridges. The roiling of the water and rocking of the waves is not captured very well, however. Unlike the spring, when high river levels continued until rain and warm temperatures melted snow, this autumn high should drop quickly.

While you stroll along the shores of the river downtown, notice the crickets as they jump across your path. In this picture they are gathered among flower beds edging the Simon Estes Amphitheater outside the Embassy Suites Hotel.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Summer can be a hectic time. Which is why, somehow, I sped through the 2006 season without a trek to Des Moines’ Downtown Farmers’ Market. This past Saturday a return visit reminded me what I’ve been missing.

When I think of a farmers’ market, the first thing that comes to mind is produce, fresh off the farm and bursting with flavor and color. But the annual Downtown Farmers’ Market is all that and so much more. It’s about seasonal flowers, home-baked pies, handcrafted textiles, lawn and garden art. The market is street corner music and the sound of kettle corn popping. And it’s a showcase of the melting pot that is Des Moines with street-side cuisine from Pakistan, Asia … and nearby Iowa destinations.

My husband Frank and I began our shopping experience by seeking out breakfast. While tempted by the sugary scents of baklava and cinnamon rolls, we made our way to Breakfast Guys & Gals for quick English muffin sandwiches. Our choice was prompted by short lines and cold Cola Cola, the latter iced down since four o’clock that morning, the Huxley-based owner assured me.

While enjoying our meal on park benches, we noted a trend; one the the nicest surprises after a year’s absence from the event, was the increase in the number of organic produce stands. And, after finishing breakfast, we stopped to chat with the vendor from chemical-free Blue Gate Farm. While Blue Gate didn’t have the largest display of produce, their selection was quite unique with its bouquet of multi-colored carrots. A canning jar of a faint green herbal syrup caught my eye. We were offered a sample of a lemonade mixed with the syrup; the combination of lemon with hint of rosemary and other herbs was a surprise hit and we quickly purchased a jar.

Familiar vendors were still on hand, as well. We headed to Scavo’s location for more Iowa grown produce. There we talked with John. His family has been growing and selling vegetables in Des Moines since Frank was a boy. As I selected the choicest ripe tomatoes, John inquired after Frank’s many cousins who have now moved away from the south side of the city.

I looked around at the people chatting across from the curbside musician. At those admiring the huge samoyed dog. These folks weren’t in a hurry to snap up groceries and go. Because, ultimately, the Downtown Farmers’ Market is about connecting, community. And that’s a great way to begin a weekend.

Get the most out of your market experience with these quick tips:

• Before heading out, grab sunglasses and ball cap.
• Consider sun screen.
• Wear sturdy walking shoes.
• And download a map from the Downtown Farmers’ Market Web site.

Guest Writer: Brenda Friedrich is an Iowa-based writer and business
communications consultant. You can also find her blogging at Enroute365.

Guest Author: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.