Greene County Genealogical Society ~by Valerie Ogren Meeting notice: The next meeting will be Saturday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. in the basement of the Jefferson Public Library. Dennis Lautner will favor us with another visit and some “Trivia Fun.” Since we are all super sleuths when it comes to tracking down family history that should be a breeze. But…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Iowa county officials support fuel tax increase
WEST DES MOINES – The board of the directors of the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) on Jan. 24 approved a resolution stating support of a fuel tax increase. Road funding is one of ISAC’s top legislative priorities this year as approved by the full membership.
Read MoreLetter to my grandfather
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Dear Grampa Tom, I’ve been thinking about you lately because of the absurdity of life in the 21st century. Knowing I think it’s absurd, I’m pretty sure you would have trouble believing it even if you lived it. Let’s see, you died at the age of 93 in 1972? ‘73? A ton of things have…
Read MoreAt Sierra Community Theatre: “Saving Mr. Banks”
Story line, written by Walt Disney Pictures “When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins, he made them a promise – one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. “In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely…
Read More“The part of your book that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.”
quote from Samuel Johnson ~a column by Colleen O’Brien A friend of mine just sent me her first book, published recently by a small press in Colorado. I am mightily impressed. She’s been writing and rewriting for five years, turning out just about 360 words a day the first year, and then redoing it again and again for the editor who…
Read More“…just some puny humans playin’ around the toes o’ time.”
quote by Zora Neale Hurston ~a column by Colleen O’Brien So, what do you think of polls? Do you believe their results? Like right now, the Gallup Poll tells us that 12 percent of the population in the U.S. does not like Congress; does this ring true with you? George Gallup, born in Jefferson at the beginning of the last…
Read MoreShould old acquaintance be forgot…
~a column by Colleen O’Brien It is the end of what such a short time ago was a new year. My friend wrote to me last New Year’s day, “I have liked the numbers in 2013 — the steadiness of 20; the energy of 13, roundly full of promise.” 2013 was not, however, a promising year. For humanity, the planet…
Read MoreTree Tracings
Greene County Genealogical Society by Valerie Ogren Meeting Notice The next meeting will be Saturday, Jan. 4, at 10 am.in the Jefferson Public Library. Elaine Wiggins will present a program entitled “Letters To Pauline.” She will share letters her mother Pauline,received in the 1920’s. Another gentle reminder – dues are due. Annual dues are $7.50 for an individual or $10 for…
Read MoreCatching up to technology is probably not in the cards for me
~a column by Colleen O’Brien With cell phones’ built-in addiction to be always in use – as a telephone, as a typewriter, as an encyclopedia, as a camera, as a newspaper, as a book — those of us who own them can be constantly knowledgeable as we are in constant communication.
Read More“Fashion is made to become unfashionable.” -Coco Chanel
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Fashion is the same as it’s ever been. The same? You ask? Hardly, you answer. You wouldn’t be caught dead in today’s fashions. They are nothing like what you wore in 1948-’62-’85-’99. They are in fact ugly. True in the particular. But, not in the broad sense. Fashion is what somebody’s telling us to wear,…
Read MoreLetter to the editor
Letter To The Editor: The Kiwanis Club of Jefferson would like to thank everyone who has supported our mission by placing their cans and bottles in the Kiwanis recycling cage by the Shopko parking lot. Monies raised through all of our fundraisers, including the pancake breakfast, service auction, and grilling at Bell Tower Festival, the county fair, farmers market and…
Read MoreThe madness – are we escaping it or making it?
~a column about Jefferson by Colleen O’Brien Life in Jefferson is serene and far from the madding crowd, not to mention the world’s many wars. We escape the madness, we do not contribute to it. Or do we? There are 14 armed conflicts around the globe. In addition to these active wars, insurgencies and revolts, there are 27 conflicts that…
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