~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.
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“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…
Read MoreLetter to the editor
Dear Editor: It is the season of the Envelope. So many envelopes and so many worthwhile causes, large and small, near and far. Tax deductible and most, with a letter I can tell they word-smithed and edited and sweat over, turning just the right phrase, bringing news of accomplishments and work left to do. One of the first to arrive,…
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Dear editor, I would like to express my thanks to Dr Kim Cunningham and Maureen Jacoby for organizing a very successful 3rd annual Paton Gobble Gobble Run. They have organized an event that is family-friendly, good for you, and good for the county. Despite a very chilly Thanksgiving Day, the event had over 100 runners who donated over 500 non-perishable…
Read More“It’s déjà vu all over again,” said Yogi and my friend Barb
~a column about Jefferson by Colleen O’brien One of the very clever Jeffersonians who moved back to town over the last decade calls herself and the rest of us returnees the “deja vuers.” This is an astute observation, a droll way of calling us what we are, for the French phrase “déjà vu” means “already seen.”
Read MoreLetter to the editor
Dear Editor: A shout out to Linnette Sondgeroth on her retirement this week after nearly 17 years of maintenance work at the Greene County Courthouse. While Linnette has chosen to leave without fanfare, we want to take this chance to say “THANK YOU so much” for all the support and assistance she has provided to so many of us over…
Read MoreTree Tracings
~by Valerie Ogren Greene County Genealogical Society Meeting Notice The Greene County Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, Dec. 7, at 10 am in the basement meeting room of the Jefferson Public Library. The program will be given by John and Laurie Meyer. They will be telling about their trip to Germany last summer and locating relatives of John’s grandfather. A short business…
Read MoreCharitable giving
~a Consumer Advisory from Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller Whether you’re thinking about helping others around the holidays, or you’re planning ahead for tax time, the time to check out a charity is before you give. Important Questions Before You Donate Be sure you understand the organization you are considering helping, where your donation goes, and where it doesn’t go:
Read MoreLearning to be thankful
I was raised saying grace before every family meal, and just about every meal was a family meal. “Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gifts,” my father would intone, “which we are about to receive from Thy bounty through Christ Our Lord Amen.” He said it in one breath with exactly the same lack of inflection every time. Maybe…
Read MoreGrace under pressure
~a column about Jefferson by Colleen O’Brien Avid for money of my own beyond the 25 cents a week I received as my very feeble teenage allowance, I went to work as a soda jerk when I was in eighth grade. This was in the spring of 1958, and it was a calculated piece of business. Working all summer would…
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