One Mans Perspective: You have the right to remain bookless (06/20/09)
It's a sad day for child molesters, but a happy day for book stores. From now on, all sexual predators whose preference is of a child age nature - once convicted - will no longer be allowed to enter public libraries in the state of Iowa. Kris Todd's story this week about the state level changes with regards to sex offenders with child victims, and their being disallowed in public facilities that children frequent...

Sometimes imperfection is just perfect (06/16/09)
Photographs have been on my mind of late. Stacks of pictures, filling plastic storage hampers. Computer disks, carefully labeled and stored in a three-ring binder. A camera storage card, jam-packed with pictures. I'm up to my ears, it seems, in photographs...

One Man's Perspective: Endorsement makes candidate lock for Terrace Hill (06/13/09)
The other day, I was visiting with Bob Rose and he made a comment that I've often used, but for some reason when he said it, the words resonated, "Whatever happened to common sense?" Later that same day, I covered a fundraising event for unannounced GOP Gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats at the Arnolds Park Pavilion. ...

Congrats, kudos and something to look forward to (06/09/09)
A hearty congratulations to the Spencer High School boys soccer team for its state championship in the Iowa 2A State Soccer Tournament. Bringing home that hardware after three hard-fought matches in state tourney play must be incredibly satisfying to those young men, their coaches, families and friends...

One Man's Opinion: Gas pains returning (06/06/09)
Don't worry folks, I'm not talking personal intestinal issues here. These kind of gas cramps are corporately induced. What brought on this case of gas -- a gas powerful enough to double you over and steal the contents of your wallet at the same time? Why greed of course...

Letters to the Editor 6-2-09 (06/02/09)
Here we go again. People have lost their jobs, over 300 to 400 in Spencer alone, and the greedy gas suppliers are again raising their prices to way above normal pricing. Oil is not the cause as their prices have gone way down to $61 per barrel compared to over $120 a barrel last year. At these prices, gas should be $1.19 to $1.49 per gallon at the highest...

Moving on, and letting go (06/02/09)
"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?"...

One Man's Perspective: Taking time to honor (05/30/09)
Last Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day by honoring those who fought for this country and have since left this earth to receive their Heavenly rewards. Some of us chose to celebrate by actually attending a Memorial Day service, an hour-plus show of respect for those who have endured and given so much. It also is an opportunity to honor those family members who are left behind, who too, endured and suffered during times of war and peace...

Time to take some responsibility (05/26/09)
OK, I admit it. I've noticed, over the past few years, that my patience has grown thin. I suffer fools poorly. I tend to open my mouth to air my opinion perhaps more than is politically correct. In short, I've become a bit crochety. And, the subject of my ire has been, in recent weeks, the ever-present advertisements for "credit mediators" whose job it is, it seems, to "erase your credit card debt."...

One Man's Perspective: Put heroes before villains this weekend (05/23/09)
It would be almost comical if it wasn't so sad. As we gear up to honor our fallen heroes on Memorial Day Monday -- news flash, that's really what the holiday is about, not just heading to the lakes and enjoying barbecue -- the better part of the past couple of weeks, the discussion within our government, has focused a great deal on the fair and humane treatment of our captured terrori...oops, I'm sorry, enemy combatants...

It's who, not what you'll be that's important (05/19/09)
Graduates, you've made it through the ceremony. You endured seemingly thousands of hugs, good wishes, laughter and yes, a few tears. You've eaten enough white cake, with white frosting, decorated with "2009" to carry you through to your wedding cake, somewhere down your future's path...

Letter to the Editor 5-16-09 (05/16/09)
We would like to thank all of the volunteers for their time and effort in helping with the Little Tiger Relays. It is people like you that make it possible to have this kind of activity for the students. Just listening to the kids cheering for each other and seeing their excitement makes it all worthwhile. ...

KISS and the boogeyman in your music (05/16/09)
It was kind of fun checking on the KISS competition Tuesday at the Eventful Web site. In case you missed it, KISS is taking requests, through Internet voting, as part of a contest for the first ever "fan-routed" North American tour. Scott Hallgren, at the Clay County Regional Events Center, wants to get Spencer in the hunt...

One Man's Perspective: Another man's perspective (05/16/09)
A perfect headline for this particular column as I am deliberately making space in my traditional space to share with you a column written by another individual who shares my same thought process on the matter of President Obama suggesting to the world that apologies are needed for America's arrogance...

Changing times mean changing Daily Reporter (05/12/09)
I was 12 when I decided I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. In those heady, post-Watergate days, my youthful imagination was fired by the idea that the watchdog role of a newspaper reporter was one of the highest callings out there. If not reporters, who would ensure that government kept on the straight and narrow? Who would let sunshine in?...

One Mans Perspective: True heroes (05/09/09)
Real heroes are few and far between. They are not born. They are not made. They are ordinary men faced with extraordinary circumstances. In the last week, we've honored two who fit this description - one who is still with us, helping to prevent the loss of a young boy, and one who gave his life as he fought for freedom far away from home...

Honoring American heroes (05/05/09)
"Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has its own way of takin' its sweet time

No, life ain't always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life ain't always beautiful
 But it's a beautiful ride.". ...

One Mans Perspective: The world abounds with ignorance (05/02/09)
Sadly in this world, you don't have to search very hard to find ignorance exemplified. I'm sure some of those reading this column are looking at my photo and nodding their heads. Touche' my friends, touche' But the ignorance of which I speak in one case spans the course of about two weeks, and the second instance took place earlier this week...

Proms bring excitement to rainy weekend (04/28/09)
Area schools hosted their annual proms this past weekend and, while the weather outside may not have cooperated, the scenes inside were spectacular. I made the trip to Everly for the Clay Central-Everly prom and was so impressed with the beautifully decorated space and the even more beautifully decorated young ladies and gentlemen. Liz Kardell and her crew of students, staff and parents did an incredible job bringing the city lights to the CCE gym...