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Letter to Editor

Iowa’s education downhill slide

To the Editor:

The current governor’s  ad paints Iowa as a quaint coffee shop. She and Republicans, who control the State House and Senate, constantly brag in their ads the state has a surplus of over 1.9 billion dollars in the general fund.

Throwback: The old barbershop

 

 

This photo shows a typical barbershop in 1939. The barbershops were a social gathering place for men where they could discuss current events and gossip about their neighbors. This one in Bancroft shows barbers Charlie Baker in front, Charlie Fox, middle and Elwin O’Dell in back. The young man in the front chair is unknown but Fox was getting ready to shave Maurice Bernhard and O’Dell’s customer was John Haupert. Does this bring back memories?

Out of the past

4th Reding homecoming queen at Garrigan

150 Years Ago

Draying! We are now fully prepared to perform everything in the line of Hauling or Draying, to and from the Depot, at reasonable prices. Orders for Goods or Express will be promptly and carefully attended to. Orders can be left at the Upper Des Moines office, and at the post office. A. B. Shipman, H. S. Pinkerton.

 

125 Years Ago

The Daily Umbrella

Are you a good neighbor?

Ever wonder if you are a good neighbor? Sure, you keep your lawn mowed. You don’t let your dog bark continually. And you paint your house as needed. Those things all help, but what do your neighbors truly think of you? If you really want to know, ask the neighbor kid. Think I am wrong? Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

Letters to the Editor

EMS funding and the future of county-wide ambulance service

To the Editor:

When it comes to calling the ambulance, most people have an expectation of care, but not an expectation of cost.

Throwback: Make Believe

 

 

Youngsters took advantage of the nice weather back in 1977, (top photo) and 1972, (left photo), pretending to be pro football stars and possibly acrobats in the circus or rodeo.

Top photo are Mike and Matt Brinkman, Eddie Metzger and Scott Glaser.

Left photo is Jay and Chad Thompson playing with one of the displays at a Farm Expo.

Out of the Past

Post-WWII Western Europe not a pretty picture

By Gene Miller

150 Years Ago

Life is a book of which we can have but one edition. Let each day’s actions, as they add their pages to the indestructible volume, be such as we shall be willing to have an assembled world read.

 

125 Years Ago

Travel Diary

Heading Home

By Jim Sloter

On our way back to Belgium and our friends there, realizing that the most varied and interesting travel adventure we had ever experienced was coming to an end, emotions were high and feelings mixed. Having spent four months traveling around Europe and the British Isles, we were excited to be going home, but at the same time, sad that our never-to-be-forgotten ‘trip-of-a-lifetime’ was coming to an end.

Ink Spots

Of Lifeline alerts, cobwebs and wrong numbers

 

By Molly MacDonald

Let me tell you about Lifeline, the program where you punch a little button on a wrist band or neck band to alert someone that you need help. You all are probably already familiar with this or something like it, mainly because of those wretched TV ads where a whiny old lady cries, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Does anyone but me find her annoying? But I digress.

Letters

This is what we should fear

To the Editor:

Letters

Love One Another As I Have Loved You

To the Editor:

This Is My Commandment, That You Love One Another As I Have Loved You. John 15:12.

Letters

Property tax increase is not the answer for EMS

 

To the Editor:

Families of Faith

The Value of Trust

By Rev. Al Foote

Pastor, Evangelical

Free Church, Algona

 

It seems that trust is missing these days. We hear of lost trust in the media or our politicians or even of family members or close friends. We might even doubt the loyalty of the whole generation of “whippersnappers” that has recently come along. Lost trust makes us feel betrayed or compromised.

Throwback: Free toys, brought to you by nature

 

 

It will soon be that time of year again when Mother Nature provides some good old fashioned fun as these kids from the September, 1977 issue of the Algona newspaper demonstrate. How many kids will experience the joy of raking up a huge pile of leaves providing a safe place to land after a running jump. Hours of fun and it doesn’t cost a thing. What other outdoor games are free? Send your memories to news@algona.com

Out of the Past

 

Band Day is Saturday

By Gene Miller

150 Years Ago

Writers and Writing

Erdrich novel a spellbinding ghost story

By Michael

The Sentence, a humor-flecked ghost story of a woman named Tookie, is the October featured selection for Writers and Writing. Author Louise Erdrich, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota and lives in Minneapolis.

 

The Sentence

Louise Erdrich

Harper Perennial

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