Smart Talk: Turn Pain In to Purpose. Fran Drescher at the Des Moines Civic Center

A review by David Borzo

Francine Joy “Fran” Drescher is a story teller. She clearly loves a good story and loves sharing them, especially when they illustrate important lessons learned. Twists and turns, success and failure, Ms. Drescher brought it all to the Smart Talk crowd at the Des Moines Civic Center on Monday night. As the kick off speaker for the 2010 Smart talk series, Ms. Drescher showed her star power and charisma, keeping the audience engaged with affecting stories of love, careers and health. She shared her survivor’s philosophy that when plans for the future don’t pan out like you want, you need to let go and write a new future.

Fran Drescher has had a lot of plans rewritten. With her successful career in T.V. and movies (she’s appeared in over 20 films) she is of course best known for the television series The Nanny, which she co-created and produced. She was also nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for The Nanny. But Ms. Drescher can’t be neatly squared away in the archetypal TV celebrity files; she is also a screenwriter, political and social activist, author and producer…and is currently serving as a US diplomatic envoy, taking her message of women’s health to the world stage.

Ms. Drescher related back throughout her presentation to another important life lesson that she relies on: there is always opportunity—and when opportunity presents itself, you need to seize it.  Carpe diem is her mantra, and of course, there was a good story to go along, a chance meeting on a flight to Europe in the early ‘90s. She had purchased her ticket, but then decided to use her frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class. Low and behold, she found herself sitting next to Jeff Sagansky, an executive at CBS. As they crossed the Atlantic, they talked about a series she was developing, featuring her quirky style as the focus of a show. By the time they landed, she had convinced him to take a meeting with her to discuss the production. Of course the show was The Nanny, which was an instant success on CBS, making Fran Drescher a star.

By the end of The Nanny’s six year run though, Ms. Drescher had much more to think about. She was having serious health issues, and her marriage was on its last leg. By the time The Nanny closed down in 1999, she was divorced. And the next year, after two years of misdiagnosis by eight doctors, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer, and underwent an immediate radical hysterectomy. Fortunately the cancer was in stage one. This led to another mantra: “Stage one is the cure” and she began efforts advocating that women insist on early cancer screening and curing it in the early stages. In an interview with USA TODAY, Ms. Drescher said “Nobody knows your body better than you…remember back in the days…when you went to your doctor, listed your symptoms and let them take over from there? Well, those days are over.”

Ms. Drescher encouraged the Smart Talk crowd Monday to listen to the early whispers of possible cancer…get the endometrial test if you think something is wrong. Don’t wait. She said that after surgery she felt like she had been dealt an unfair hand. But then she realized that we have no control over what we’re dealt, so at least handle it with dignity. Another lesson learned, so she wrote about her experiences in her second book, Cancer Schmancer, counseling men and women “to become more aware of the early warning signs of cancer, and to empower themselves.” An important challenge for us all, and a stirring beginning to the 2010 Smart Talk series!

Seizing the day, Fran Drescher started the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all women’s cancers be diagnosed while in Stage ONE, the most curable stage. More information can be found on her website at cancerschmancer.org.

Did you get to the Albaugh Classic?

Told ya! I was one of thousands of car buffs in Ankeny on Saturday for The Albaugh Classic supported by hundreds of volunteers and sponsored by Karl Chevrolet. Besides the Albaugh Collection there were about 500 owners from the Midwest displaying their vehicles: classics; street rods; cars and trucks. Included were quite a few orphan cars – some with names that old-timers know like Nash, Hudson, Willys, and Packard, and some orphan brands that younger folks know too like Oldsmobile and Plymouth. There were more Corvettes than I had ever seen in one place. Below are a few of my favorites.

For the first time I saw Dennis Albaugh’s collection of 130 Chevrolets. What a collection! My favorite was the one-of-a-kind 1928 Chevrolet Camp Car owned by John and Dora McMullen and shown below. It came complete with a non-anchored wicker chair driver’s seat with a second for the front seat passenger. Imagine what a State Trooper would say about that! It also had a quilt rack to the left of the driver’s seat, drop leaf dining room table just behind the front seats, and roll down window shades. Move over Winnebago!

The Albaugh’s Collection represents a Chevrolet and a Corvette from every year, and some years with two. It’s a privilege to walk through. Watch for Dennis to open his garage again. You’ll get your chance and you don’t want to miss it.

Speaking of you don’t want to miss it, watch for the 2009 Salisbury Automobile Classic on September 13.

photos by James G. Lindberg

The Albaugh Classic

If you are a car buff, you’ll want to be in Ankeny on Saturday for The Albaugh Classic sponsored by Karl Chevrolet.

It’s your chance to see Dennis Albaugh’s collection of 130 Chevrolets; some say it is the best Chevy collection anywhere!

At the same event you will see the cars that hundreds of other folks are bringing

• classics (pre-War and post-War)
• street rods and modified
• Corvettes
• cars and trucks

You will be able to vote for your favorite 12 classics and see what the judges think of cars and trucks in 20 other categories.

Where? Albaugh, Inc. at 1525 NE 36th Street in Ankeny. (Do not believe the maps you get from either Google or Mapquest!) Instead take I-35 to exit 92, turn west on E. 1st Street (0.2 mi) then north on NE Delaware (2 mi), turn east on NE 36th (0.4 mi) and you will see it on the right as you approach the underpass at I-35.

When? Saturday, August 8th from 6:30 am until 4:00 pm. Get there early. It’s going to be hot!

How much? $10 or free to those 12 and under.  Thanks to Karl Chevrolet all the proceeds go to Ankeny High School.

photos by James G. Lindberg and dok1

Swimming around Des Moines 2009

Lookin’ for a place to swim? You have lots of choices: indoors; outdoors; chlorinated and not. If you have never heard The Swimming Song, check out this YouTube video with Loudon Wainwright III (who wrote the music and lyrics). My favorite version is the somewhat quicker version by Kate McGarrigle.

Here’s a pretty good list of municipal pools, or in the words of The Swimming Song,

salt my wounds, chlorined my eyes
I’m a self-destructive fool, a self-destructive fool

• Altoona
• Ankeny
• Carlisle
• Clive
• Des Moines (Ashworth Pool, Birdland Pool, Nahas Aquatic Center, Northwest Aquatic Center, Teachout Aquatic Center)
• Indianola
• Urbandale
• Waukee YMCA
• West Des Moines Holiday Park Aquatic Center
• West Des Moines Valley View Aquatic Center and
• White Water University in Pleasant Hill

Maybe you would rather be in some of the natural waters. There are several. You can check the water quality (bacteria) in some through Iowa DNR but not Saylorville. Water quality seems to be better this summer than last.

• Big Creek State Park
• Lake Ahquabi just outside Indianola
• Saylorville Lake

photos by flickr by Northfield.org and peasap

Des Moines and San Francisco: a subjective view

Last month I visited family in the Bay Area of California – plenty of time to see some differences between Polk County in Central Iowa and San Mateo County just south of San Francisco. In the earlier post, more objective, quantifiable data were compared.

While some of the differences can be easily compared, it is harder to quantify other differences, such as

• food, gardening
• travel, commuting
• baseball, activities
• stress

Grocery shopping? California may have a big edge here.

• CA has New Leaf, Whole Foods, and Andronico’s, natural food stores where you can get everything you need; while the prices are a little higher on some items (especially the meat), the produce is ripe and fresh – likely because it doesn’t travel far.
• The only places like that in IA are the farmers’ markets: Des Moines Farmer’s Market, and other local markets; Iowa City’s New Pioneer Food Coop; Ames’ Wheatsfield Grocery. In contrast to CA, Des Moines-based New City Market and Campbell’s Nutrition are quite small by comparison.
• When it comes to the commercial chains (except for the produce) IA’s Hy-Vee and Dahl’s compare favorably with Safeway in CA.

Home gardening? This will get your attention! There is a wait of 4 to 7 years to get a 100 sq ft garden plot in the Fort Mason Community Garden. That is a plot about the size of a very small bedroom. We’ve had picnics at Fort Mason more than once, and it is a beautiful spot as you can see on the right; but it’s easier to find a spot to garden in Iowa.

Food, in general? My impression is that

• Iowa wins on beef and pork
• California wins on fruits and vegetables

Driving? I find it easier to drive in the Bay Area, but enough said about that.

Cars? This is a strange experience. I drove my sister’s hot rod Lincoln for 4 weeks, and you wouldn’t believe what I have seen and have not seen.

• I saw only ten 2009 Chevrolet Impalas in 20 days
• instead? Toyota, Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo and a few Ford cars and Chevy trucks

Public Transit? The Purple Wren and I stayed in a coastal California community about the size of Grinnell, Iowa and took lots of public transit too.

• twice to San Francisco and back (SamTrans bus and CalTrain)
• once to Oakland and part way back (walked a block to SamTrans buses then BART right to the Coliseum)
• around San Francisco (Muni)

Baseball? Definitely a lot of winners here! Whether you live in the Bay Area or Des Moines, you can see good professional baseball: San Francisco Giants; Oakland A’s; Iowa Cubs. I saw the A’s and the Tigers and my favorite Tiger Curtis Granderson (shown left), but the best part was spending the afternoon with my nephew John who rode BART from Berkeley. We had great seats, but you know, it’s hard to beat an afternoon in Principal Park right here in Des Moines!

Activities? There is more to do in both places than I can ever get to.

Stress? I am not sure that stress is the right word – intensity might be better. The pace is faster, and the crowd is larger in CA. It is a line-up kind of place, and longer lines – at the movies, banks, grocery stores, restaurants, traffic, bus/CalTrain/BART stops. It’s all exciting and intense, but it creates a little more stress. When the Purple Wren and I moved back after a year in CA 10 years ago, I said, “I could live in CA, but I wouldn’t live as long.” I’ll stand by that.

Well, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes you tie. I’m happy to be here; I was happy to be there.

Des Moines and San Francisco: factual differences

Bernie Madoff in Des Moines dollars

By his own admission Bernie Madoff engaged in criminal acts using $65 billion of other people’s money. He lost it.

How much is $65 billion in Des Moines dollars?

The median annual household income in Polk County is under $55,000.

If the average Polk County family worked 1 million years, they would still be $10 billion short.

You say you don’t have a million years? Enlist your friends. There are about 150,000 households. If every man, woman, and child in Polk County pooled their income for about 8 years, we could match the $65 billion. 

That’s one perspective on the crime: Bernie Madoff took the equivalent of 8 years of labor of every man, woman, child in Polk County, Iowa.

I wonder where his thinking went wrong. 

photo by flickr by Steve Rhodes of a painting by Yan Pei Ming

Jazz in July 2009

It’s time!

• it’s Des Moines
• it’s summer
• it’s hot and humid

It must be time for Jazz in July, and it’s free to all.

Each summer Metro Arts Alliance through generous sponsorship presents Jazz in July – and what a great deal this summer; we even have one day of Jazz in July that occurs in August! You can visit the Jazz in July website  or you may want to check out the links below to see the bands, parks, sites – 27 groups, 19 locations, and 19 dates.

• July 1, 6 pm, Fuzion Mix, 4 Mile Community Center, 3711 Easton Blvd.
• July 2, 4:30 pm, Dave Camwell and the Jazz Addicts, Lions Park, 72nd & Aurora in Urbandale
• July 2, 7:00 pm, Tony Valdez Large Band, Lions Park, 72nd & Aurora in Urbandale
• July 2, 7:00 pm, Roxi Copland Band, West Capitol Steps, Des Moines (Yankee Doodle Pops)
• July 7, 6:30 pm, Ed Kaizer, Jr. Group, Wesley Acres, 3520 Grand Avenue
• July 8, 6:30 pm, Jim Oatts Quintet performs Freddie Hubbard, West Des Moines City Hall, 4200 Mills Civic Parkway
• July 10, 6 pm, Scott Davis Quartet and Friends perform the late Miles Davis, Greenwood Park, Sylvan Theater, south of 45th near Grand Avenue; but what if it rains (and chances are 50%)? For this concert, the alternative is Merrill Middle School (map) and Metro Arts will make the call about 90 minutes ahead of time. Check the Metro Arts Alliance website for the update!
• July 11, 6:30 pm, Max Wellman Quartet, Waveland Neighborhood Association, Waveland Golf Course and Observatory, near Polk Boulevard on Observatory Road (map). The Des Moines Register reports more activities including food, kid stuff, and Observatory open house starting at 5:30.
• July 12, 5:30 pm, Des Moines Tango Group performs Pablo Ziegler, Salisbury House, 4025 Tonawanda
• July 12, 7:30 pm, 3×5, Salisbury House, 4025 Tonawanda
• July 15, 5:30 pm, Brazilian Sunset performs the late Stan Getz, Heartland Presbyterian Church, 14300 Hickman Road (map)
• July 15, 7:00 pm, Ashanti Jazz, Heartland Presbyterian Church, 14300 Hickman Road (map)
• July 16, 5:30 pm, Old School performs the late Wes Montgomery, Living History Farms, 11121 Hickman Road
• July 16, 7:30 pm, Tina Haase Findlay, Living History Farms, 11121 Hickman Road
• July 17, 6 pm, One Nite Stand, Chautauqua Parkway Neighborhood Association, 1412 Chautauqua Parkway (map)
• July 18, 6 pm, Java Jews, Beaverdale Neighborhood Association, Beaverdale Park, 3333 Adams St
• July 18, 8 pm, Los Saltinos, Beaverdale Neighborhood Association, Beaverdale Park, 3333 Adams St
• July 19, 6:30 pm, Party Gras Classic Jazz Band, Music Under the Stars, West Capitol Steps
• July 21 (Tuesday), 5:30 pm, Judi Ann Brown performs the Gershwin Brothers, Roosevelt Cultural District, behind the Shops at Roosevelt (map)
• July 21 (Tuesday), 7:30 pm, Ed East, Roosevelt Cultural District, behind the Shops at Roosevelt (map)
• July 22 (Wednesday), 5:30 pm, Dave Rezek’s Alpha State Agents, Gray’s Lake Neighborhood Association, Gray’s Lake South Pavilion, Fleur Drive near George Flagg Parkway (map)
• July 22 (Wednesday), 7:30 pm, The People’s Connection performs the late Grover Washington, Jr., Gray’s Lake Neighborhood Association, Gray’s Lake South Pavilion, Fleur Drive near George Flagg Parkway (map)
• July 23 (Thursday), 7 pm, The Jazz Page, Waukee Area Arts Council, 6th and Walnut, Waukee (map)
• July 24 (Friday), 12:15 pm, The Belin Quartet, Civic Music Association, on the downtown library lawn at 1000 Grand Avenue, Des Moines
• July 26 (Sunday), 5 pm, The Jason Danielson Trio, Union Park Neighborhood Association, Union Park (map)
• July 28 (Tuesday), 5 pm, Mel Hrubetz performs the late Bix Biederbecke and the late Harry James, Oakridge Neighborhood Association, 1236 Oakridge Drive
• August 1 (Saturday), 5:30 pm, Patron Party, Village of Ponderosa, 590 Market Street, West Des Moines (map)
• August 1(Saturday), 7:30 pm, Four Fried Chickens and a Coke, Village of Ponderosa, 590 Market Street, West Des Moines (map)

That’s the schedule. It’s all free. Try some.

photos by flickr by olivander and volume 12

Des Moines economy receives high rating

While the economy in the Des Moines metro (like the rest of the country) is less than perfect, the Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution reports: Des Moines is doing relatively well.

The Brookings’ MetroMonitor report was released today (6/17/2009), and based on “overall performance” Des Moines is ranked in the top 20 of the 100 largest metropolitan economies in the U. S. where overall performance was based on recent changes in 4 indicators:

• employment
• unemployment
• gross metropolitan product
• housing price index

The full rankings are available.

In employment were are in the top 20% along with Omaha-Council Bluffs and Kansas City. The middle quintile included Denver, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago.

In the rate of increase in unemployment, the report showed that Des Moines was best in the country. We have lost jobs more slowly than any other metropolitan area. This was attributed in part to the relative insulation of the insurance industry to rapid change during a recession. Omaha-Council Bluffs was also in the most favorable 20%.

The question of wages which typically do not drop during a recession, Des Moines did not compare as favorably where we were in the second to the lowest quintile.

In recent changes in the gross metropolitan product, Des Moines was in the middle quintile.

The strength of the real estate markets is reflected by our position in the 2nd most favorable quintile. If you want to sell a house, it is most favorable to live in Houston, Buffalo, or Dallas, but you are in a lot of pain if you are trying to sell in Modesto, CA, Las Vegas, NV, or Stockton, CA. New slogan opportunity for Las Vegas: “If you bought a house in Vegas, your money will stay in Vegas.”

A final category considered in the Brookings report is real estate owned by lending institutions. These are properties that have been foreclosed, that the lender has tried and failed to sell at auction, and that remain in the hands of the lending institution. The Des Moines metro is in the middle. The fewest such properties are in Syracuse and Albany, NY and greatest number in Stockton, CA and Las Vegas, NV.

During the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, while we are suffering individually and collectively as institutions, a city and state, the Des Moines metro is doing relatively well. We couldn’t ask for a lot more.

photos by flickr by recentexposurephotography

2009 Two Art Festivals in Des Moines

First, the Des Moines Arts Festival is the big one. It’s coming up so be prepared to show up in Western Gateway Park.

• Friday, June 26, 4-10 pm
• Saturday, June 27, 10 am – 10 pm 
• Sunday, June 28, 10 am – 5 pm

The festival website is so thorough and easily navigated that I couldn’t add anything worthwhile; you should go there for all of the information: 

• a listing of artists and links to their websites
• listing of performing artists with links
• the live music
• street theater
• interactive arts
• food

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, Des Moines Arts Festival is free. 

The second show in town is ArtFest Midwest. It’s at the Fairgrounds and it’s also free.

• Saturday, June 27, 10 am – 6 pm
• Sunday, June 28, 10 am – 5 pm

There will be a free shuttle between the two events.

photo by James G. Lindberg

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