First Cross Country Meet of 2011

SWG Eagles Start Season Off Strong

            Both the Eagle girls and boys team had their strongest finish in years at the Manson-Northwest Webster Invitational August 25.  Sophomore Emma Luhman led the Eagles with a runner-up (2^nd place) finish.  She one this race with a PR (personal record) time of 16:10. Winning the race was Prairie Valley’s Jaclyn Rittgers, who is currently ranked 12th in 1A.

As a team the Eagles finished in 2^nd place with 61 points behind St. Edmond’s with 40 points.  Prairie Valley finished 3^rd with 69 points.   Ridgeview finished 4^th (114), South Central Calhoun finished 5^th (122) and the home team Manson finished 6^th with 156. 

            For individuals, the Eagles had four medalists. In addition to Luhmann,   Senior Solveig Orngard placed sixth (17:01) , Senior Natalie Williams placed tenth (18:05), and Sophomore Morgan Strauss placed twelfth (18:38).  Also running well for the Eagles were Senior Caitlyn pace (31^st—20:25) and Emma Clausen (49^th).   Freshman Nicole Williams is hurt and can’t run yet.

            The boys’ team also had a strong start, with a third place finish behind St. Edmond’s (25 points) and South Central Calhoun (98) points.  The Eagles had 107 points and were led by Sophomore Randy Schwering, who finished in twelfth place.  Also medaling for SWG were Senior Miles Propst (18^th--19:26); Sophomore Colten Bills (21^st—19:42), and Senior Cody Breitsprecher (22^nd—19:52).   Senior Tyler Hinman placed 29^th (20:24); Sophomore Zach Hansen placed 68^th (23:16), Freshman Malachi Swanson placed 69^th (24:31), and Freshman Joe Sedlacek placed 70^th (24.48).

            The next meet is Tuesday, August 30 at Webster City.

August 30 column: "99 great sales on the road, 99 great sales. Stop the van and shop around. 99 great sales on the road.”

            Okay, my parody of “99 bottles of beer on the wall” pretty much stinks, but it does summarize Dean, Paddy, and my Highway 141 Garage Sale adventure.  Yeppers—we went to 99 garages sales in two days. I wanted an even hundred—but somehow that just didn’t happen.  I did go to four sales in Ogden on Thursday evening, but Dean said I couldn’t count them.    Scroooge.

            This year we took our favorite “junior picker” Patrick with us—and he came home with the “pick of the trip.”  We were very early in our adventure Friday  morning at farm outside of Woodward.  I was paying for a fire pit ($5!) and a runner’s water pack (also $5—but not as good of a deal since I don’t know what in the heck a runner’s water pack is), and I notice Paddy helping the owner unload a trailer.  I told Paddy how nice it was of him to help the lady move her foosball table. She said, “Oh, he just bought it.”  WHAT??  Paddy just BOUGHT a full-sized, wooden foosball table?? Yeppers—for ten bucks.    It took up the entire back of the van , leaving very little space for other bargains.  By the end of the day we had collected so much stuff that Patrick had to squeeze himself into a space the size of a postcard. The foosball table was a great deal and the kids are having a lot of fun with it, but we have absolutely no place to put it, so—you guessed it—my Jag is now parked in the driveway while Paddy’s pick sits in the garage.

            My best find was a HUGE outside umbrella with its own stand for five dollars.  Problem was—it was broken. Handyman Dean was able to fix it and our backyard now has a new shady area. At the same sale I took home a FREE wicker chair and table.  Sure, they were damaged—but just perfect to use a plant stand in my flower bed.

            We had a great day Friday, when we headed TOWARDS Des Moines.  We ended up in Harcourt, for their citywide sales, which were excellent this year.  We collapsed in bed after 12 solid hours of garage sale fun.  Saturday, however, we really didn’t have much luck as we headed the other direction down 141 towards Jefferson.    Paddy didn’t go this time (we couldn’t drag his exhausted butt out of bed), so Dean and I set off on our bargain hunt alone.  We still had fun—just didn’t find too many good deals.

            Actually, we went to quite a few sales that were a little frightening.  We pulled into one rural yard and Dean announced, “If they start playing banjoes, I’m outta here!”  This was the sale where the flower garden that looked so beautiful from a distance turned out to be composed entirely of plastic flowers.  Not silk—mind you—but garish plastic.  Needless-to-say, we didn’t buy anything there.

            At the very next sale, I was told in all seriousness by a woman that I could have one box of glasses for $2 or both boxes for the bargain of $5!    I told her I would take one box—twice—and pay $4.  That really confused her and I ended up leaving that sale without any glasses whatsoever. 

            Highway 141 sales are always held the first weekend in August.  If you are into bargain shopping at all, I urge you to write them on your calendar today.    After two days of saling, you can go to the Harcourt Appreciation Days parade and then play a little bingo in the city park.   My two boys received two huge bags of free candy at the parade.   (Josie was riding with the junior high band.)  What better way to end a weekend of bargains than with free candy and entertainment?   

Turning the Tables on Terry

          

The inclusion of three local post offices on the “perhaps to close” list set me to thinking: what exactly would closing post offices look like?  After quite a bit of thought and research, I think that it might make life EASIER for small town Americans.  

            It amazes me that the people that call for “smaller government” and “cutting the budget” get so upset when this actually happens. Take Governor Terry Branstad:  He has asked for a moratorium on Iowa post office closings. The same Terry Branstad that stuck by his guns, gol durn it, when it came to freezing education budgets doesn’t want the federal government to close small town post offices (particularly the ones that rent their space from him—there are a dozen such post offices).  So—firing teachers and leaving children without resources:  good fiscal policy; but closing post offices in microscopic towns that aren’t even incorporated;  NO WAY JOSE!

            I have a friend that is a raging Republican (yes, it is an odd friendship) that brags of voting for Branstad and “getting rid of Culver.”   The same friend was really ticked off when schools started cutting teachers in his kids’ school.  Apparently he didn’t think zero percent growth for schools would affect him.

            Sorry, folks, but massive budget cuts affect (or at least should affect) EVERYONE.  However, the post office cut, unlike the school budget freeze and the recent decision to close three dozen Iowa Workforce Development offices, could turn out to be a GOOD thing for small town Iowans.

            First of all, it would necessitate mail delivery to the door—like most of America enjoys already.  No more driving down to the post office to pick up the mail—which would be sad because of the loss of the social aspect—but would be way more convenient, particularly to senior citizens during those treacherous icy months.  Yes, it certainly is nice to have a gathering place for folks and in some small towns (such as Burnside) the post office is the one and only place for this to occur.   However, it is not the federal government’s role to provide socialization for its citizens.

            Secondly, it would bring more traffic into existing small town businesses. The US Postal Service says when they close a post office, they try to set up a satellite station in a local business.   In other words, instead of buying a book of stamps at the post office, citizens would go to Casey’s or the grocery store.  And—while they are there, they might pick up a loaf of bread or a birthday card for Mom instead of waiting to do this during a weekly trip to a larger town.

            However, towns like Burnside with absolutely no businesses would be in a pickle with this plan. The only “business” in Burnside is the school—which is probably the post office’s biggest customer.   I’m thinking Karla, Sharon, and Beth have enough to do without also dispensing stamps!    Perhaps a stamp machine or purchasing postage on line would be practical in the very small towns without businesses.

            Streamlining the post office system (which loses money every year) seems like a prudent way to cut the budget.  And although I mourn the death of small town America, I can’t use “it’s all our town has” as a reason to spend unnecessary money.

Hell must be freezing over because this liberal democrat approves of a budget cut and the Republican governor is against it.    I guess when the tables turn, they turn big time.