Lookin’ for something to do on the 4th of July? Maybe this will help. You can check out the Web sites for most cities and towns of Central Iowa for updates or try the selections below.

Why not start celebrating on July 2nd with the Des Moines Symphony’s Yankee Doodle Pops Concert?

• concert: Thursday July 2nd, 6:30 pm, west of the Iowa State Capitol Building, Roxi Copland Band
• concert: Thursday, July 2nd, 8:30 pm, same place, The Des Moines Symphony
• fireworks: following the concerts
• food, fun, fireworks, free
• bring food to donate

Urbandale always has some of the best of the metro’s 4th of July celebrations.

• parade: Saturday, July 4th, 10 am along 70th north to Aurora then west to Urbandale Middle School
• fireworks: Saturday, July 4th, 10 pm by Urbandale Middle School (rain date, Sunday July 5th)
• plenty more on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; check it out! 

Waukee celebrations will be held on July 3rd and 4th.

• parade: Saturday, July 4th, 2 pm
• music by Standing Hampton: 6-9:30 in Centennial Park (west of Waukee HS, south of the stadium) 
• fireworks: 9:30 pm in Centennial Park

West Des Moines will celebrate for two days.

• parade: Friday, July 3rd, 6:30 pm starting (map) at Valley High School and heading to Valley Junction
• fireworks: Saturday, July 4th, dusk at Raccoon River Park, 2500 Grand Avenue, WDM (map)

Windsor Heights has a lot planned for July 4th at Colby Park at 69th and School with access off University Avenue (map)

• parade: 1-3 pm
• Bill Riley Talent Search from 2:30 – 4:30
• kids games, rides, food from 2 pm through 9:30
• music: Throwing Toast from 5 ’til 6:30 and The Blue Band from 7 – 10
• fireworks: 10 pm

The Iowa Cubs are out of town on the 4th but they are home on the 2nd and 3rd, and they’re promoting the Holiday Fireworks Spectaculars at Principal Park

• Thursday, July 2nd, game time 7:05 with the spectacular fireworks after the game
• Friday, July 3rd, game time 7:05 with the spectacular fireworks after the game

Heartland Nationals and the Good Guys Car Show will have fireworks, but it will cost you.

• fireworks: Saturday July 4th, 8 pm, Grandstands, Iowa State Fairgrounds Racetrack,with music by the VanDells 

If other cities update their websites and post their activities, I’ll try to keep up.

Here’s another!

Carlisle has plans that include

• kiddy parade on Friday the 3rd from 6 – 7 pm
• a bigger parade on July 4th at 9:30 am
• fireworks on July 4th at 10 pm
• and more

photos by flickr by brungrll and jmtimages

It’s windy in Iowa. (I didn’t have to tell you, did I?)

It’s hard to miss Iowa’s new wind turbines. They continue to spring up in Western Iowa along Interstate 80 in areas including one called Windy Hills. The turbines are on both sides of I-80 in Adair , Cass , and Pottawattamie Counties. 

Today we find that Mid-American Energy has over 100 turbines in Pottawatamie County alone where many of the pictures above were taken at the Walnut Wind Project.

Money is blowing in the wind.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists each turbine will net the landowner $2,000 -5,000/year in royalties. That’s great news in counties where the average farm is near 440 acres and the crop value per harvested acre has been running between $205 – 225/acre.

How are we doing in terms of absolute capacity compared to the rest of the country? We’re doing well; currently we are even with California in absolute capacity. DOE puts us 3rd in the nation; citing Dirk Lammers Yahoo says 2nd, where Texas is first. 

•  Iowa has 2862 MW of capacity (with our population of 3 million that’s about 1 kW/person)
• California has 2868 MW with their population of 36 million
• In Iowa we’re producing 10% of the nation’s wind power. I’m impressed!

Resources for further information

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (US DOE)
• energy matters (Australia)
• Wind Power A to Z
• You Tube videos on wind energy

photos by James G. Lindberg

People are searching for Fridays at the Fountain. OK, then. Here you go!

Looking for something to do once the work week is over? Fridays at the Fountain started in May and you missed Dick Prall, but there is still time through the end of July to hear music, make friends, and unwind from the week.

Every Friday through the end of July, you can attend Fridays at the Fountain. More details at their website.

• $5 (and you’d better be 21 ‘cuz liquor, wine and beer are sold)
• 5:30 until 8:00 pm (Then what will we do?)
• Fountain Plaza in West Glen Town Center
• just off Interstate 35 and George Mills Parkway
• near Jordan Creek in West Des Moines

Live entertainment – from pop to jazz.

The 2009 band lineup taken from West Glen’s pdf file is:

• June 5:Towncrier (from Cedar Rapids)
• June 12: Standing Hampton (a local band)
• June 19: Hello Dave
• June 26: The Damnwells (a Brooklyn based band with an Iowa connection, Alex Dezen)
• July 3: Final Mix with Del Saxman Jones
• July 10: Tim Mahoney (with many Midwestern connections, especially MN)
• July 17: The Heroes
• July 24: Dazy Head Mazy (They look like Minnesotans to me.)
• July 31: Nelo (from Austin, TX)

Afterwards, go see Bomi Mistry for healthy treats at Fuel.

photo by flickr by MorBCN and by  James G. Lindberg

technorati tags: Home Turf Media, Iowa, West Des Moines, Fridays at the Fountain

It’s a great Des Moines event. Put it on your calendar.

2009 Greek Food Fair (their Web site is so good, I wouldn’t have to say any more, but)

• Saturday June 6, 2009 (always the first Saturday in June)
• 11 am until 8 pm
• Greek Orthodox Church of St. George
• 35th and Cottage Grove
• wonderful Greek food, lovingly prepared
• a la carte (eat what you like for individual prices) or a complete dinner ($12 ahead of time; $14 at the door)
• tours of the church (then or online now)
• Greek dancing (at St. George’s; elsewhere)
• free parking
• kids are welcome too

Your friends will be there!

photos by James G. Lindberg

Set aside a little time to remember your veterans.

During 8 of my first 12 years of life, the United States was at war. I was born just before the U. S. entered WWII and by the time I was 13 the Korean truce had been signed. During that time I had 4 uncles and 4 cousins over 21 and under 40; all 8 were in the military, and all came back.

• Uncle Fritz, a Swedish immigrant served in the U. S. Army in WWI
• Uncle Denny was an infantryman in the U. S. Army, landed at Normandy, fought at the Battle of the Bulge at age 38; he would sometimes talk about the bitter cold and the howl of the German 88mm shells.
• Uncle Bill was in the Navy in the South Pacific during WWII
• Uncle Russ was a Navy gunner on an oil tanker, was torpedoed in the South Pacific, survived 14 days on a life raft, and was rescued
• one cousin was in the Coast Guard during WWII
• another cousin was in the  Merchant Marine taking cargo back and forth across the North Atlantic during WWII
• a third cousin was in Korea during the Korean War
• and a fourth was also in Korea

In addition, my Aunt Julia was in the Marine Corps (play the video) stationed in San Diego during the entire 2nd World War.

There was a time in American history when every able-bodied man served; the duty fell to all.

From my relatives I learned that serving was a mix of boredom, terror, seasickness, hard work, extreme loss, revulsion, and homesickness.

Take some time to remember and honor your grandparents, uncles and aunts, parents, cousins, nephews and nieces, and all others who served in conflicts in the World Wars, in Korea, in Vietnam, in the Gulf Wars, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and those who were prepared to fight.

In Des Moines the local Memorial Day program will be

• May 25, 2009
• 11 am
• Vets Auditorium

Guest and speakers include Vietnam veteran and Representative Leonard Boswell; Vietnam POW and retired Lt. Commander Larry Spencer will speak.

photo by flickr by Elassar

Has anyone ever told you, “Clean up after yourself?” or “Get that thing out of here!”? Lately?

Want to get rid of it free? I have just the information you have been waiting for!

SCRUB Days are times and places that you can drop off stuff that you (or your loved one) want to be gone. It could be

• old furniture
• trash containers
• tires (off the rims)
• TVs, computers
• even old appliances like refrigerators, air-conditioners, stoves, microwaves, furnaces, freezers, water heaters, etc.
• check out the list of what you can and can’t drop off

The eagerly awaited SCRUB days calendar has arrived. The City of Des Moines posted it as of April 3, 2009! I’ve been waiting, and I know you’ve been waiting too so here are the days and locations by neighborhood:

April 18, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Drake University parking lot (24th and Forest – Carpenter and Kirkwood Glen neighborhoods)
• Bell Avenue Business Center (1901 Bell Avenue – Southwestern Hills and downtown neighborhoods)

May 16, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Central Presbyterian Church parking lot (39th & Grand – North of Grand, Arbor Peaks, Greenwood Historic, Sherman Hill, and Woodland Heights neighborhoods)
• Capitol View Elementary parking lot (320 E. 16th – Capitol East and East Village neighborhoods)

June 20, 2009, 7 am until noon

• State Fair parking lot (E. 34th and Dean – Laurel Hill and Valley High Manor neighborhoods)
• Hoover High parking lot (4800 Aurora – Meredith and Merle Hay neighborhoods)

July 18, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Southridge Mall parking lot (1111 E. Army Post – Somerset, Magnolia Park, South Park, Watrous South, Hillsboro, Ewing Woods-Evergreen, and Easter Lake neighborhoods)

August 15, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Prospect Park parking lot (Prospect Road north of Hickman – Mondamin Presidential, Chautauqua Park, Drake Park, and King-Irving neighborhoods)

September 19, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Hy-Vee lot, 3221 SE 14th, east of the building (Indianola Hills, McKinley School-Columbus Park, and Pioneer Park).

October 17, 2009, 7 am until noon

• Polk County Office Building at Oliver Plaza (2339 Euclid – Lower Beaver and Beaverdale neighborhoods)
• north parking lots at Roosevelt High School on Chamberlain St. (Waterbury, Ingersoll Park, Linden Heights, Salisbury Oaks, Waveland Woods, Waveland Park, and Westwood neighborhoods).

Where else and when can you get rid of these nonhazardous materials other than the SCRUB day sites?

You have to haul it to a different site, and it is only open and free to you on those Saturdays listed above from 7 am until 1 pm.

• MWA Transfer Station at 4198 Delaware Avenue

What about yard waste?

Some of you may remember the time when you could drop off yard waste. Well, you can still do that free too but not at the SCRUB days sites. You have to haul it to a different site, and it is only open and free to you on those Saturdays listed above from 7 am until 1 pm.

• MWA Compost Center, 1601 Harriett St (near SE 15th and Harriett)

What about toxic and hazardous materials? I have just the right information for you! Check it out.

• MWA Regional Collection Center. Read about this in Around Des Moines.

There were SCRUB days last year too. You might remember the 2008 post.

photo by flickr by epcrossing and bisonbison

Doesn’t everyone love a massage?

The Mayo Clinic supports massage for relief of stress and pain as well as for promotion of the healing of various medical conditions. You may find a host of massage therapists locally using the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) website including therapists in Ankeny, Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, or many other communities across the country., or you can find many more in the Yellow Pages.

Jennifer Main (owner of Massage Heights in Ankeny, a franchise headquartered in San Antonio, Texas) would prefer that you visit Massage Heights. She passed along the following comments about the benefits of massage.

For many, thoughts of having a massage conjure up images of getting a relaxing rubdown in a lavish beachside resort.

While massages may have been more of a luxury item in the past, today more and more American’s are getting massages because of their health related benefits.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 36 percent of adult Americans who received a massage in the past 5 years did so for medical purposes, such as for muscle soreness and spasm, injury recovery and rehabilitation, and pain relief.

Besides helping to relieve pains associated with things like muscle soreness and back pain, there are also several other not as commonly known health benefits of a massage.

Other benefits include boosting the body’s immune system, easing post-operative pain, reducing headache frequency, easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and decreasing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Massages have even been shown to decrease pain and anxiety in hospitalized cancer patients.

With all of these benefits, healthcare professionals are more frequently promoting the benefits of massage therapy to their patients.  Last year, the AMTA reported that 13 percent of adult Americans discussed massage therapy with their doctors, with more than half of those doctors strongly recommending it.

So when thinking of a way to reduce stress and relieve some of those aches and pains at the same consider visiting your local massage therapist.

photos by flickr by zen118

The Des Moines Register has a Beggar’s night schedule that lists cities and towns as well as community events, commercial events, and other regional activities associated with Halloween. The Register’s event pages are worth a look. There is nothing comparable. Twelve of the following are on The Register’s list, but I looked up a few others. And the weather promises to be great.

• Altoona: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Ankeny: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Clive: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Dallas Center: October 31, 6-8 pm
• Des Moines: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Grimes: October 31, 6-8 pm
• Indianola: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Johnston: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Mitchellville: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Norwalk: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Pleasant Hill: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Polk City: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Urbandale: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Waukee: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• West Des Moines: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm
• Windsor Heights: October 30, 6:00-8:00pm

The Ames Tribune lists times for the towns generally north of Des Moines; that includes everything from Alleman to Zearing. Good weather there too!

photo by flickr by Gus Dahlberg

I was home for lunch and caught the biggest news of the day.

Here’s the lead-up to the story in a nutshell.

• Chicago banks made loans to owners of apartments buildings
• owners rented the apartments
• the renters did not get behind on payments
• but the owners did get behind
• banks foreclosed (and maybe they weren’t interested in following the letter of the law but)
• the banks ordered the sheriff to evict the renters

And what I saw on the news at noon was an angry young man saying,

” I will no longer be party to something that is so unjust.”

Who was the angry young man? It was the Sheriff. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart found his ethics in conflict with the law. And he has ordered his deputies to stop evicting the tenants. The AP reported the story earlier today. Check the details; the details are ugly as in go to work in the morning, come home to what’s left of your belongings on the curb. The Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association was not pleased with the Sheriff. In a twit, they announced they just wouldn’t give loans in Cook County. You can read about this in the Chicago Tribune. It’s breaking news in Chicago. Will there be copycats? Could it happen in Des Moines?

You are going to have to judge this one for yourself. Was the Sheriff right? If you think there is an easy answer, guess again. It is a wonderful conflict of law, ethics, and morality. Take your stand. There is no in between.

photo by flickr by DrCee

Four items you need to know about food in Des Moines.

• The World Food Festival runs from Friday October 10 – Sunday October 12 in the East Village in Des Moines. The Cultural Cafes feature a wonderful variety of foods: American (including BBQ and Louisiana Creole), Bosnian, Ecuadorian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Greek, Indian, Laotian, Mexican, Salvadorian, Thai, Venezuelan, and Vietnamese. You will also be entertained. Better not miss it. This list is just scratching the surface of the U.S. Cellular World Food Festival.

• Don’t lose sight of the fact that the Food Festival (history) is held in conjunction with the World Food Prize headquartered in Des Moines and founded by Nobel laureate and Cresco Iowa native, Dr. Norman Borlaug. The winners of the 2008 World Prize are Bob Dole and George McGovern. Read up on why Dole and McGovern were chosen. They will hold a free public forum on Wednesday October 15 at 6:30 pm in the Iowa State Historical Museum.

• Food is also on the mind of those who will be part of the Des Moines Hunger Hike. Widely supported by local religious groups the annual event (since 1969) will be held on Sunday, October 12 beginning at 1:30 pm on the West steps of the Iowa State Capitol. The Des Moines Hunger Hike supports a variety of nonprofit agencies who provide free food to the hungry in the US and the rest of the world.

• Angel Food Ministries (one of the helping hands around Des Moines) is still going strong. Angel Food Ministries is a Georgia based food ministry dedicated to relief of hunger throughout the United States. The local group works from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and is available to everyone, not just those in need. They provide excellent food at low cost. Check the menu for this month. Order by mail or in person by Monday October 13 for delivery on Saturday October 25. I live in the neighborhood and I can tell you that they do a land-office business.

photo by flickr by bill.streeter, khalampre, and spacing magazine