Ramblings: 2014

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Accountability and responsibility

By Jeff Orvis

Christmas Day, 2014. A lot of words are associated with this time of year: Peace, Prosperity, Charity and probably several more. As I prepared to jot down a few thoughts this time, considering recent events, a couple of words came to mind: Accountability and Responsibility.

These two words are closely associated, if not always synonymous. We are taught we are to be held accountable for our actions. If we don't, there are others, usually those in authority wearing a badge and carrying a weapon, will be responsible for us. The young man who was shot by Ferguson, MO police allegedly did not take proper responsibility when he robbed a convenience store and, again allegedly, attack the officer. The young man who recently was shot by a policeman a few miles down the road from there again allegedly did not take proper responsibility when he pulled a gun on the officer.

Sometimes the accountability and responsibility is shared by both the public and the police, as what apparently happened on the streets of New York when a man allegedly resisted arrest and was subsequently killed in an illegal choke hold by a policeman while some of his fellow officers did little to stop the incident.

While the friends and relatives of those who lost their lives are still mourning their passing, don't you think the officers involved are also suffering to some extent? First there were the interviews by police internal affairs and the district attorneys and the mountains of reports to be filed. If you can safely assume that at least most of those officers entered that line of work to help people, what internal turmoil they must still be suffering, knowing that they took another life, regardless of the circumstances.

While on the subject of our local police, while we are enjoying our families and opening our presents today, there are thousands of uniformed officers who are working hard, keeping us safe. If I was a policeman, I would dread working these holidays. People gather inside a home, liquor is consumed, arguments might start as the day progresses and in extreme cases, violence erupts. Police are called to stop the disturbance and often become the enemy, as all sides turn on them.

Of course, then we have the subsequent incidents in Missouri, where some misguided outlaws decided to capitalize on a bad situation by shooting, rioting and looting, destroying their own neighborhood. And just recently, a mentally challenged individual executed two policemen in their squad car, in retaliation for the death of the suspect on the New York street and for the suspect in Missouri.

So the question is, when will we all stop and accept responsibility for actions that sometimes lead to tragedy like this? In the wake of the massacre at the elementary school a couple of years ago, some apparently well-meaning politicians suggested that maybe it was “time for a conversation” on how to combat gun violence. I doubt that was much comfort to the parents of those kids and teachers who were murdered. The “conversation” won't bring them back.

There's another area of accountability and responsibility that has been troubling me recently. We see the commercials for the Humane Society, reminding us we should contribute to help homeless animals. We see commercials for various international aid groups seeking contributions to help the less fortunate here and abroad. Then we are seeing more and more commercials for a few organizations who are supposedly helping “wounded warriors.” Send $19 a month to one group and you will receive a blanket. Meanwhile, your contribution is supposed to help these returning warriors recover from their physical and emotional wounds.

I am mature enough to believe that our armed forces perform noble duties and keep us safe. They don't debate whether what they are doing in far off lands will have a lasting impact on our world. But many of them who are deployed to war zones do see at least a short term impact on the local population and their reward is knowing that they made a difference.

Recently, CNN has done an investigation into what percentage of donations to returning wounded veterans organizations actually go toward the veteran and how much is absorbed in fund raising costs and administrative overhead. The report indicated that some of the groups are spending far less than 50 percent of what they receive to help the returning veterans.

Aside from that, is it really the place of ordinary Americans to donate to ensure that those wounded in action receive prompt care and rehabilitation? If you believe that those who fight for us are true heroes, why won't our government treat them as such? Why so much red tape and delay at VA hospitals? Why isn't the government spending the money on the soldiers instead of donating some big, heavy armored vehicle to a small town police department that can barely afford gas for its two or three patrol car fleet?

If you enlist in the armed forces and serve one or more tours of duty in a combat zone, and come home minus a leg, arm, eye or nightmares that make you wake up nights screaming, your government should show its appreciation with superior and immediate medical care and a pension befitting a returning hero. Leave the pleas for donations from the public for abandoned dogs and cats. Our troops deserve much better treatment than that.

We need to ask some tough questions of our members of Congress. Hold them accountable. Demand that they take responsibility. After all, that's what we are paying them for.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Police situations, another opinion

By Jeff Orvis

Perhaps like never before has the issue of law enforcement been cussed and discussed. An unarmed shoplifting suspect is shot and killed in the street near St. Louis and soon the neighborhood is a powder keg of riots, looting and building burning. A big, unarmed man is approached by law officers in New York. He resists efforts by nearly a half-dozen cops to take him into custody and soon he lays dead on the sidewalk, the victim of an illegal choke hold.

Before the ink is even dry on the t-shirts, hundreds of athletes and others are wearing “hands up, don't shoot” or “I can't breathe” shirts. It's the latest fashion statement. Unfortunately, the statement comes from tragedy.

Social media is soon flooded with accounts of other violence involving law officers. Some of it allegedly stems from what police have done, but a lot of it is informing us of what is done to officers in the line of duty.

Through my former line of work, as well as other personal encounters, I have become acquainted with several local, county, state and federal law enforcement personnel. Having some understanding of what they experience every day, I have a hard time justifying jumping on the t-shirt bandwagon. Because of the availability of cell phones, it's hard to argue with those who feel the man in the New York case was a victim, regardless of what a grand jury might say. The situation in St. Louis is, and will be for some time, up for debate, as “witnesses” suddenly crawled out of the woodwork claiming the suspect was gunned down for no reason. That grand jury believed the officer, who said he felt his life was in danger because the suspect tried to grab his gun.

We expect a lot of our law officers. We send them off to classes, then slap a gun on their hip and expect them to protect us, all for as little as $35,000 a year to start. They are expected to make life and death decisions in a split second sometimes, often after hours of boring little action. They come to our aid seven days a week, every day of the year, in all kinds of weather, often missing or delaying holiday or birthday family celebrations of their own. They represent their city, county, state or nation, so they often have to act as public relations experts, keeping their own emotions in check, regardless of who they encounter.

I remember one time, when we were in church on a Sunday morning and a part-time police officer, since retired, was on duty. There was an ambulance call to our church for someone who had fainted. He came with the ambulance crew, then apologized for wearing a gun in the sanctuary. We quickly were sure to thank him for being there and accepted the fact he had every right to wear his firearm while on duty, even in church.

We are coming into the holiday season, when folks will gather together to celebrate, often with intoxicants. Emotions sometimes run high, resulting in disagreements. Domestic disputes can be some of the most dangerous for officers, who are often expected to keep the peace, even when it soon results in both sides turning on the police officer.

More than once, I've heard mothers of young kids warn them that they had better behave or that policeman over there will arrest them. I'd much rather hear the mother point to the officer and tell her child that he or she is there to protect them if they ever encounter a stranger or get hurt.

More than 99 percent of the time, police officers perform their duties admirably. Some people wonder why so much news has been devoted to the ongoing situations in St. Louis and New York. It's because what happened and what has happened since is news. We have a saying in the news business that while dog bites man may not be news, man bites dog is. It's something that thankfully doesn't happen every day.

I find it a bit amazing that many officers I have known firmly believe in the Second Amendment and the public's right to own guns. You would think their job might be safer if they didn't expect everyone they encounter would be packing heat. We have read of several recent situations where a seemingly routine traffic stop has resulted in a shooting of a police officer. Seems like those of us who are still unarmed are becoming the minority.

Regarding the situation in St. Louis, I have to comment on the morons who decided it would be a good idea to celebrate the grand jury's decision by torching several businesses in their neighborhood, stealing whatever they could carry. Don't they know this is like spitting on the grave of the man they thought was unjustly killed? Don't they realize they are destroying some of the places they shopped, some of them owned by their neighbors? All this did was intensify and prolong the tragedy.

I guess the moral of this rambling piece is the next time you are rolling down the highway and you encounter a policeman on the side of the road, don't mutter some oath. Take your foot off the gas a little. The next time you are stuck in a snowbank on the side of the road or are involved in a traffic accident and a state patrolman or county deputy comes to your aid, say a little prayer of thanks that he or she was there to help.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Hawks are going bowling again. Some first thoughts

By Jeff Orvis

Some immediate thoughts in the wake of the news that Iowa will play Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2, 2015:

Many fans were disappointed with the Hawks' 7-5 record this season. Coach Kirk Ferentz and the man before him, Hayden Fry, set the bar pretty high over the past 20+ years. This year's team had plenty of promise, with experienced players at many positions and a premed major at quarterback, along with a former Air Force Academy student as the main running back.

My parents instilled in me the gift of optimism. Sometimes it is a hindrance, when you always see the glass as half-full until you are proved wrong. With that in mind, consider the fact that the Hawks had a legitimate chance at winning every game they played, except for that laugher at Minnesota. They were eight total points away from a 10-2 season and 15 points away from an 11-1 campaign. They lost two games by three points each, another by two and a third by a touchdown.

With that in mind, along with the way Hawk fans love to follow their team to bowl games, they were rewarded with a Jan. 2 bowl in Florida against an opponent with a rich tradition.

Before the bowl invitation was received, Athletic Director Gary Barta indicated that he still has full confidence in Ferentz. He is evidently not alone, as the bowl scouts seem to agree. When an AD makes such a statement, some coaches may start packing their bags, as sometimes this is a prelude to a firing.

While I don't think that is the case here, Barta is a man of character. But several factors could still lead to a new coaching staff before next season. If the Hawks don't perform well in the bowl game, there could be trouble. If the fans don't follow their team to Florida with the customary enthusiasm, the handwriting could be on the wall. Or if the frustration displayed by some fans was reflected in a drop in financial support for the program, we all know that money talks in big time athletics. This year's single game ticket prices of $60-$70 spoke a specific language to me: “Not in this lifetime.”

A more remote possibility could be that Ferentz may decide this would be a good time to explore other opportunities. He's said his family likes living in Iowa City. But he and his wife have just one child still in school, Steven, who is completing his third year in the Iowa program. The coach has prior experience as an NFL assistant coach and depending on his level of enthusiasm for the college game, he might entertain offers to move up to the next level as a head coach. Looks like San Francisco could be a real possibility, for instance.

A lot of the talking heads on national TV have said that the Big Ten isn't a premiere football conference this year. But it's interesting that 10 teams from the league are going bowling this year. Not too bad for a weak conference.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Random thoughts of Facebook, great voices and Chicago sports

By Jeff Orvis

Random thoughts time. That means I probably don't have enough to stick to one subject, but since it's been a few weeks since I last posted, I have collected a few thoughts on a variety of topics and I hope you find something interesting.

When I was growing up and we would visit my grandparents in rural western Illinois, I was introduced to the party line telephone concept. For those of you under the age of 50, let me explain. Folks were connected to the phone system via one line that would serve several homes. You knew a call was for you via a predetermined series of rings. Otherwise, the call might be for your neighbor. But since there was no such thing as a privacy switch on the telephone, if you were having a particularly lonely day, you could pick up the phone and listen in on another conversation not meant for you and suddenly you knew all the news and gossip in the neighborhood.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and we have the new version of the party line. It's called Facebook. Communication is achieved not by phone, but via the computer keyboard. The nice thing about this is your thoughts can be posted for all the world to read, but there are also privacy settings built in which will allow you to determine who reads what you write.

Every morning, I get out of bed, make the coffee, open the drapes in the living room, turn on the Today show and hop onto Facebook on my Kindle. Instantly, for just the cost of the monthly internet connection charge, I can be in contact with 200+ friends across the country and around the world. For example, my first post this morning reported that I awoke to 21 degrees and light snow. Before long, two friends responded. One said it was 70+ degrees where he and his wife were vacationing in Hawaii. The other said it was just over 50 degrees in Ireland, where he had been sent for a working visit by his employer.

This weekend, my niece is getting married to a fine man in Florida. Although I will be watching the snow fly while they recite their vows a thousand or more miles away, I expect a full report from several sources later that day, thanks to Facebook.

Laura and Kevin, while I won't be there to personally experience your wonderful day, rest assured that I will be there in spirit and wish you all the happiness you deserve as you continue your grand life adventure.

As I may have mentioned before in this space, in my younger years I played around with college radio. I had weekly shows first at Central College in Pella and later at St. Ambrose in Davenport. But I soon came to the realization that I would never have a voice like James Earl Jones. Besides, radio folks have to work on weekends and holidays, at least for a few years. And until you make it in the major markets, you usually don't make much more money than full time reporters on weekly newspapers.

But I have always marveled at men who have voices that make you sit up and take notice when you hear them on the radio. The aforementioned Jones immediately comes to mind. I remember one time when I was in Salt Lake City for a friend's wedding. We were in Temple Square on Sunday and were fortunate to sit in on a network radio broadcast. I can still feel the chills run up my spine when the announcer, using that commanding voice, said, “For the 39^th consecutive year, the CBS Radio Network proudly presents...”

My bedside radio is set to WMT in Cedar Rapids, despite the fact it is a Fox News affiliate and presents way more conservative programming than necessary. It's still the best place to get news, weather and sports each morning before my feet hit the floor. And it is the flagship station for Hawkeye sports.

On Saturday night, they air a show from an individual named Joe Pags. I guess he's famous. When I first heard him, I thought, “When I grow up, I want a voice like his.” Then I heard what he had to say, how he didn't even want to breathe the same air as President Obama and I immediately thought, “I'd take his voice, but he can keep what's left of his brain.”

Unfortunately, the other individual that comes to mind when I think of really neat speaking voices is that Republican obstructionist in the senate, Mitch McConnell. God gave him a wonderful speaking voice. But in my opinion, he quit before he gave him much compassion or common sense. So I listen to him for a few minutes before I literally feel my brain turning to mush and my temperature spiking and I switch over to that left-leaning, liberal media, such as CNN or NBC or CBS.

My final thought for today has to do with the coaching changes happening or needing to happen in Chicago pro sports. The Cubs recently hired Joe Maddon to lead them to the World Series promised land. Many of my Facebook friends who are Cub fans feel this guy is the second coming of Walter Alston and are already clearing their calendars in late October for the Fall Classic.

Meanwhile, the Bears are in a tailspin, having dropped their last two games where their opponents each scored more than 50 points. By Monday morning, Chicago media was all over this one, demanding the team fire Coach Marc Trestman. He's a nice guy who has had success elsewhere, but he's just not Bear tough. At least that's what some of the commentators were saying.

So after a couple of days of careful contemplation, I have come up with the solution. Send Trestman away and hire Joe Maddon to coach the Bears. He's already looking for a home in Chicago and has a couple of free months before baseball spring training begins. I don't know if he knows anything about football, but he certainly already has the Chicago attitude. At his press conference when he was introduced to local media, he ended it by buying a shot and a beer for everybody in the room.

If he is to be the savior of the Cubs, give him a chance with the Bears. Who knows?

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Seven days and it will be over, for now

By Jeff Orvis

One week away. Seven long days. While I'm at an age when I marvel how fast time flies, I suspect this next seven days will creep by like that lava flow in Hawaii before we can put the 2014 election campaign in our rear view mirror.

Many of our daily newspapers in this state have endorsed various candidates. I've often read these endorsements in the past, considering the points the editorial writers make favoring or opposing a particular candidate. But I have never based my vote solely on what these endorsements say.

An informed voter is one who gathers as much factual information he or she can find, while filtering out all the noise we have been hit with via ads for it seems like forever.

Some of my friends have drifted toward the right over the years. But for a variety of reasons, I have become even more liberal than I was in younger years. So it might be surprising to learn that I don't plan on voting a straight Democratic ticket next week. I've nearly made up my mind on who I will vote for in each office, but these are just my opinions and you should make up your own mind. I will admit that in times of total exasperation with these sometimes awful TV ads, I've considered watching TV until I'm ready to leave for the polls. Then when I hear an ad calling a candidate a liar, I would vote for the “liar” as a personal protest. But this election is too important to use a vote as a protest.

The two positions in Iowa receiving the most national attention are for U.S. Senator and governor. The senate seat is up for grabs following the announced retirement of Tom Harkin, a longtime tireless advocate for the underprivileged, especially the handicapped. Republican Joni Ernst is facing Democrat Bruce Braley. If the Republicans win this seat, they may seize control of the Senate. This would all but ensure a national deadlock for the next two years, where nothing gets done and the president wears out his veto pen.

Braley has several years of experience in the U.S. House. He's been roasted by the other side as a trial lawyer. And as much as I would like to see lawyers in the minority in our government to help simplify things, he knows the ropes in Washington.

Ernst scares me. She is backed by a couple of ultra conservative rich brothers, the Koch brothers. She has experience in the military and I would hope that she would be a strong advocate for support of our veterans. But I fear her support would wane when actual dollars were needed. The Koch brothers have not only spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for political advertising, they have also bought some ads in this market attempting to indicate what great guys they are and how their business interests extend to this area. That's good news for local TV stations, but is it a reason to elect a person?

Braley is a known quantity. I sense he would be a bit more moderate than Harkin has been. Besides, he's from just down the road in Brooklyn.

One of the great things about living in a state the size of Iowa, especially if you have worked in the small town news business, is the opportunity to get up close and personal with a number of candidates and elected officials. I first interviewed Terry Branstad when he was running for lieutenant governor and I was an editor in Independence. I had a couple more informal meetings with him in later years when he was in town for a 5K run and for another appearance. For a career politician, he's very approachable. In my opinion, he's affiliated with the wrong political party, but he seems to have the ability to downplay party affiliations for the good of the state. I certainly don't agree with every position he's taken, but there's little doubt that he has been good for this state's economic development.

Unfortunately, I don't believe Jack Hatch, Branstad's opponent, has been well served by his campaign staff. The only thing that I remember about Hatch is that he shaved off his mustache and he thinks Branstad has been in office too long.

Chris Branstad apparently likes living in Terrace Hill and as long as her husband's health holds on, this state would be in good hands if he had another term.

This might be the first time I've been able to say I'm on a first name basis with candidates vying for the same position. In Iowa House District 75, Republican incumbent Dawn Pettengill is opposed by Democrat Steve Beck. Both are Facebook friends and I have respect for both of them. For that reason, I'm going to take the easy way out and not say who I will vote for. So I will offer a heartfelt “good luck” to both and thank them for agreeing to run.

It would be so easy to get so fed up with all the negative ads and the empty promises that you decide to stay home and not vote. This decision would appear to favor the Republicans. The Democratic party is known for voter campaigns. So send a message to those who would attempt to buy an election through the checkbook and get out and vote. And take a look at each race before you mark your ballot. Straight ticket voting may not be the best way to go this time.

And finally, regardless of who wins on Tuesday, plan on spending Wednesday celebrating the end of the election commercials – at least for a few days before they start up again for 2016.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Some words, background and opinion on the Redskins

By Jeff Orvis

Just when it seems like folks in this country are ready to overdose on a specific national crisis, somebody comes along to create a diversion which soon becomes the latest national crisis. We are still engaged in a terrible war on terror and all the accompanying things that go with it, from the cost of our longest war in the Middle East, to the continuing cost in dollars and suffering of our returning veterans. Recently, we have become focused on a real possibility that we could be infected with a terrible disease which has already killed thousands in Africa.

Then along comes a diversion sweeping the country. Actually, this diversion happened before the disease scare, but well after the start of our recent war. It's Daniel Snyder and his Washington football team and the NFL.

As near as I can figure, after decades of living with the Washington Redskins, somebody woke up one morning and decided that the name was demeaning to our brothers and sisters that were here before our ancestors set foot on the eastern seashore. As is often the case, when somebody needs a cause to believe in, a cause was born. Before long, it swept the country. NFL broadcasters vowed not to use the team's nickname when they covered their games. Phone lines lit up all over the country as listeners called into the sports shows to voice their opinion.

Snyder swore he would never change his team's name. The NFL hasn't made a final decision. But the league is nothing if it isn't about profit. Concerned parties will surely display public righteous indignation and will eventually change it. After all, just think of the millions of pieces of licensed merchandise with the Redskin logo which would be exchanged for the new team's logo.

The internet is a great place to do research on just about any topic. A quick check indicates that 69 high schools in this country share the “Redskin” nickname. Another site claims that more than 500 high schools have nicknames related to Native Americans, including Chiefs, Indians and even a few Injuns.

It is interesting that another internet check indicates that there are no Native Americans on any NFL roster at this time. If the league wanted to be politically correct, maybe Washington should change its name to the Washington African Americans. In fact, every team probably should, since the NFL says that more than 60 percent of the players are that race.

If that idea fails, at least Washington might consider a change to a name more fitting for a team representing the nation's capitol. There are currently eight pro sports teams that claim that city as their own. Besides the football team, we have the Nationals (baseball), Wizards (NBA), Mystics (WNBA), DC United (soccer), Freedom (women's soccer), Kastles (tennis) and DC Brawlers (grid, a sport I've never heard of).

It's interesting that the Wizards were known as the “Bullets” for a lot of years. Then when Washington became the murder capital of the country a few years back, the team owners decided a name change would be appropriate.

So what could we name the Redskins? We should have something that reflects the style of the area. So how about the Stalematers? Maybe the Lobbyists, or Debaters or if you want a singular name, how about the Filibuster?

Incidentally, our Plainsmen here in Belle Plaine share their nickname with just seven other high schools in this country: Enid, OK, Vancouver, WA Evergreen, Grant, NE, Laramie, WY, Lubbock Monterey, TX, Oakley, KS and Shenendehowa in Clifton Park, NY. That's quite amazing when you consider the thousands of high schools in this country. Still, not quite as unique as the Fightin' Planets of Mars Area, PA or the Rosco, TX Plowboys.

So, should the Redskins be forced to change their name? Again I wonder how many people are truly offended with that name and if there is a huge outpouring calling for a change, where were these people decades ago? But if it turns out that this is a secret conspiracy cooked up by club officials and the NFL for monetary gain in a change, maybe the changes should really be made in ownership and in the NFL corporate offices, as if they don't have enough problems already!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

I'm glad I didn't grow up to be a pro football star

By Jeff Orvis

I'm glad I didn't grow up to be a star professional football player.

When many youngsters, especially boys, reach a certain age, they begin dreaming about what they want to be when they grow up. Quite often, their first wish is to be a fireman. That wish often fades when they learn they have to be strong enough to carry a heavy hose up a ladder, breathe in smoke and withstand tremendous heat from fires and from the clothes they have to wear, even when it's 100 degrees outside.

When youngsters begin school and start studying American history, sometimes their next dream is to one day become president. After all, you get to live in that big house in Washington and whenever you decide to go somewhere, traffic stops for you. That dream may last until you find out that at any given day, half of the country loves you and half of the country hates you. You learn that you have to decide when to send your armed forces into battle and when to console the survivors when some of those soldiers and sailors don't come home alive. You have to have all the answers, from financial to ethical. You learn that the big house you live in becomes a prison. Since you are the most recognizable person in the world, your ability to simply walk down to the corner for a sandwich is gone forever. Remember that half of the population that hates you?

From your first steps, even before dreams of firemen or presidents, somebody might toss a Nerf football to you. Then on any given Sunday in the fall, when you pass by the TV at home, you notice that some really big guys are playing with a ball that looks a little like that little foam ball you are carrying. And that's when the dream of becoming a pro football star is born.

A few years later, you develop friendships in your neighborhood. As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall, you put away that baseball glove and bat and look for at least three other friends for a game of touch football. If you're lucky, a couple of years later, you have a chance to don pads and helmet to play in a junior tackle football league. Then it's on to junior high and high school, where fall Friday nights are truly special.

By the time you get to high school, you realize that life begins the first part of August when you report for preseason drills. Once classes start, you slog through your studies with one eye on the clock, wishing it was time for practice or time to get on the bus to head for the Friday night game.

For a select few, the dream doesn't end with your last game as a high school senior. In fact, if you have piled up impressive statistics, you are already being showered with letters and visits from college coaches. You think you are the football king of the world, unless you have paid enough attention in math class to figure out that junior colleges, small schools and major universities are all attempting to fill their big rosters. Coaches use the same speech in your living room about how great you are and how much they want you as they will tomorrow night in another senior's living room.

So if you decide on a college and pass the stringent academic screening process of your chosen school and the NCAA, you have four or five years to mature much more, emotionally, physically and mentally.

Four or five years later, you may find yourself backstage during the NFL Draft, hoping and praying that those years of preparation will pay off and your name will be called by the commissioner sooner rather than later. The sooner it's called, the better chance you have at making the team and the accompanying riches.

So you hear your name called, you pose for pictures, attend a press conference and head for training camp.

The team likes you and soon you are one of the major factors in your team's success. The money starts rolling in. Women who are more beautiful than any you left back in your hometown begin to notice you. It's easy to feel like you have the world by the tail and you are invincible.

Then one night, you and the lady you've chosen walk into an elevator on a night out in a casino. You soon walk out of the elevator and drag your unconscious lady behind you.

Or maybe you have weekend custody of your toddler from a relationship with a woman that went sour. The woman is bitter about the breakup and when her son is returned to her and she notices that his legs are covered with cuts, she calls police.

Or maybe you decide that on an off night you want a little fun. So you call up some of your friends, stick the pistol in your belt for protection and head to a nightclub. A few hours later, there's a shooting and even though you claim you had nothing to do with it, that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, the police notice your unlicensed pistol and as you are being led out of the club in handcuffs, suddenly dozens of press photographers appear and your image takes a real hit.

It only takes one momentary lapse in good judgment and all those years of dreams and preparation melt away. What has taken you 10-15 years to achieve is gone. You are the topic of sports talk shows for a few weeks and then you are all but forgotten. If you haven't had a good money manager, your wealth might soon be gone and you are suddenly on the outside looking in on the work world.

The NFL is tremendous entertainment. As you watch your favorite team play on Thursday, Sunday or Monday, don't think about those few individuals we've heard about recently that apparently made the wrong choices. Be grateful for the hundreds of players who put on their uniforms each week and can still play the sport they love, that they've prepared for ever since somebody tossed them their first football just after they learned to walk.

I'm glad I didn't become a pro football star. I love the game. But the only ingredient I had that would have qualified me for such a career was a stable home life, with a loving mother and father, growing up. They never told me I couldn't be a football star or fireman or the president. But they furnished me with the education and good sense to realize that there were other career paths that were more attainable.

I never was able to sign a big sports contract and buy Mom a new house or Dad a new car, but somehow we all survived. I also don't have a history of concussions...or a police record.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Remembering a local treasure and a word on military life

By Jeff Orvis

I've got a couple of subjects on my mind today and in a way, they are related. One deals with the life of a remarkable man who called Belle Plaine “home” for a few short years. The other is some disturbing news about this country's military that, if true, should bother all of us.

I first met Fred Fredericks back in 1997, when we came to Belle Plaine. He had recently purchased a nice ranch style house in town, planning to retire here from his native Chicago. But he had some loose ends to tie up there and it would be a year before he and his wife, Peg, would be ready to move. So we leased this fine home for a year and with the lease came an acquaintance with a really unique character. In fact, that could be said of his wife as well.

My first impression of Fred, especially once I learned a little bit about his background, was that this person was too real to be real. He seemed like a character from Central Casting. That short stature, gray mustache and hair to match, slightly gruff manner of speech and that ever-present twinkle in his eye had “Chicago firefighter” written all over him. Of course, we learned that he was much more than a 30-year veteran of the fire department. He was also a plasterer and trade union member and inventor with four patents.

We had a unique arrangement. We had a comfortable, modern place to live. Meanwhile, Fred was making periodic trips from Chicago to Belle Plaine, bringing loads of things, especially tools, etc, which he stored neatly in the two-car garage. It seemed that he liked to stock up on such things and though we had an understanding that we would not disturb what he brought, I will now admit that I sneaked a peak once in awhile.

Once he and Peg moved here, many of us in town quickly learned that they would not be content with living a quiet life in their new home. They soon learned the secret to small town living which I have also learned. If you take the time to go out and meet people, you will see them often and they will, for the most part, return your friendly overtures.

Fred loved a good parade. He especially looked forward to the Fourth of July and spent time decorating his Jeep Wagoner and proudly drove as an entry in the parade.

He also was proud of so many of us here in town and let the world know it by the wonderful letters to the editor he would write. When I worked at the newspaper, I was usually the one to computer typeset the letters we got. Some of them were rambling opinions that I didn't share. When those letters hit my desk, I had a “here we go again” attitude and got through them as quickly as possible. But when we got a letter from Fred, you knew he was writing about something he observed in town. They were usually very uplifting and when you got finished reading them, you felt better about living here.

Fred passed away late last week, nearly five years after the death of his wife of 63 years. Quite often when someone passes on, you may say that the world was a better place because he lived. Fred touched so many lives in a positive way, we were all better off for having known him.

Thank you Fred.

Fred Fredericks was a proud Army veteran of World War II, having served in the Pacific Theater. He was also later a member of the local American Legion and attended many of its functions. And that's where the connection between the two items I am writing about comes in.

I never served in the military, but I was always led to believe that when you enlisted, whether it was in the regular military or even the National Guard, Uncle Sam made sure you were clothed and fed for the time you were on duty. But I spoke to a mother of a recruit who says this may not be the case. She said her child has been in basic training and advanced training out east. Her child was surprised to find more than $500 deducted from an initial paycheck. It was explained to this soldier that recruits were charged for their meals while in training. What's more, they would also be deducting additional money for the price of uniforms. Besides that, when this recruit got the uniform, the boots were grossly undersized!

This mother confirmed this in speaking with her child's superiors. In fact, the head honcho at the base seemed unaware of the unhealthy conditions in some of the barracks and promised to correct the problems. But he also hinted that the soldier might have some restricted privileges for being a whistle blower. This prompted a vow from this mother that if this occurred, her next call would be to the White House!

Like I said, I never served in the military. But I have been a taxpayer for decades. So in a very small way, I helped hire these soldiers and sailors. I was confident that part of that enlistment would surely include government-paid uniforms and meals and safe places to sleep. I realize that many of these men and women would eventually encounter tough living conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq, some more than once. But wouldn't it stand to reason that they should have clean living conditions and food and uniforms without having to pay for them out of their meager pay?

I realize that there might be another side to this story. I hope this might be an isolated incident. But if this is the norm, then I encourage any young person contemplating a military career to carefully read the contract, especially the fine print, before signing.

I have long been a proponent of taking care of our military. If we are going to commit to fighting wars, we need an equal commitment to returning members of the military so that they receive any and all physical and mental care they may need. Although we can't expect to pay them on equal footing with a union auto worker, we should also pay them enough that their families aren't forced to seek other government aid during deployment.

Make sure you are financially able to fight a war before committing to it!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Some books on my favorites list

By Jeff Orvis

A few days ago, I was challenged by friend Dawn Pettengill to list 10 books that have had meaning for me. I noticed that some others have chosen the classics, or the Bible. Perhaps because I was in the business of writing thousands of words each week, printing them and then starting all over again, it's tough to remember some certain books.

When I was faced with this challenge, I also remember a time when I was growing up when we would receive a Christmas card and letter each year from a distant cousin who made sure we were informed about what her daughter had read that year. I suppose she thought she was being helpful for her culturally unwashed relations way out in the sticks in Iowa. But after a while, I began to wonder just who died and made her the ultimate authority on what I should read.

So I am offering that as a disclaimer. You may have read some of the books I am going to list or you may want to read some of them. But if you think my taste in the printed word is strange or stupid, I won't be offended.

I like to read a range of books, as can be seen by the boxes and boxes of books and magazines I still have in storage. Whenever I hear of a book sale, such as the one our local library conducts a couple of times a year, I literally almost have to hide my own car keys to keep from adding to my library!

I am currently reading a book entitled “A Place in the Woods,” by Helen Hoover. It was written nearly 40 years ago by a lady who gave up a career as an engineer in Chicago to move with her husband to a cabin just off the Gunflint Trail north of Duluth. My dad loved that part of the country and loved to take scenic photographs of the area. On one of his trips, he discovered that cabin on the shore of Gunflint Lake. He found out who had lived there and contacted Ade and Helen Hoover. He asked for permission to photograph their cabin.

They became friends and on another trip north, my dad and I found that cabin and took several pictures of it. I still have several of those prints he framed well over 30 years ago. I also inherited several books she wrote on her experiences. Sit down with that book and in no time you are transported to a quieter, simpler time before cell phones, the internet and even before color TV.

Another book that had an impact on me is called “The Sacred Acre,” by Mark Tabb. Anyone who has followed high school football in Eastern Iowa for a number of years has heard about the success of the Aplington-Parkersburg High School team and its coach, Ed Thomas. This book talks about the profound impact Thomas had on his community, as it bounced back from a devastating tornado in 2008. Even as his own house was in ruins, he pledged that the team would play on its home field that season, a field townsfolk nicknamed “The Sacred Acre.”

Thomas was gunned down by a deranged former student in the school's weight room one morning. The book talks about how the town rebounded from the tornado and how the residents then had to cope with the loss of their beloved coach. Thomas loved his family, his players, his church and his community. This story does a great job describing this incredible man.

On a more recreational and less inspirational front, whenever I see a book by John Grisham, I have to at least stop and see if it is something I've read or should read. Grisham is an attorney who writes a lot of fiction on the legal field. But he has also branched out to one or two books on sports and even a few nonfiction works. I recently finished a nonfiction work entitled “The Innocent Man.” It told the story of a young drifter who was accused of a rape and murder in Oklahoma. The book is an indictment of the legal system in some areas of small town America. The man was ultimately freed from his death row stay, but not until his life was in ruins from misdiagnosed mental illness and other mistreatment. This book should make you mad and at least will make you think twice before you travel to Ada, OK.

I have also read several books by the late Robert B. Parker. He died a few years ago, found slumped over his keyboard. Robert Urich starred in a TV series “Spenser for Hire,” the story of a fictional private investigator based on one of Parker's characters. Another one of his characters is Sunny Randall, another private investigator with her share of personal crises. More recently, the character of Jesse Stone, a police chief in a small eastern coastal town, was adapted for several TV movies starring Tom Selleck.

Parker also wrote a few books about the old west. Since I've not read all of those, maybe that's where I have to look next.

I am also a fan of autobiographies of interesting people. Some of those people have included Helen Thomas, the former UPI White House correspondent who covered several presidents; Barbra Walters, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy and even George W. Bush.

I also read the autobiography of Walter Mondale. It was neat reading a book by a former senator, vice president and foreign ambassador after I had the opportunity to sit down for coffee with him during a stop in Belle Plaine several years ago. It's similar to the fun I am having with the current book I am reading about that cabin in the woods. It means more after having seen it, even if that trip was nearly 40 years ago.

I realize that many people who have accepted this challenge have listed the Bible as one of the books that had the most influence on their lives. I have to admit that I have not read that book from cover to cover. But I have several friends who are members of the clergy who have done a good job of reading passages to me each week. I hope to get to that book sooner rather than later.

Some people won't read some books because they claim they know how it ends. If you are familiar with the Bible, you realize that it ends with the Book of Revelation. Unless you have spent years in seminary, you may not truthfully be able to say how it all ends.

Happy reading!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

A road trip to see an incredible learning center

By Jeff Orvis

This week, there have been several Facebook photos of kids getting ready for their first day of school. Most of these pictures have been posted by proud parents who are probably also silently breathing a little sigh of relief that they don't have to find something for their youngsters to do five days a week, at least until the first school holiday.

It's been a few decades since my two took those early steps off to school. I suppose this would be an opportunity to get all teary-eyed with melancholy, wondering where all the years went. But with more than 35 years in the community news profession, I was privileged to live these days over and over again with members of the community in which I lived.

For more than 17 years, my first stop away from home was in the progressive town of Independence, IA. When I moved there, we had a discount store (not Wal-Mart), a fast food place, a couple of grocery stores and a thriving downtown. I had to drive 15 miles north to Oelwein to get a taco, but that was no big problem.

The town also had four public school buildings, with another elementary school located seven miles south in the town of Rowley. It was also home to a smaller, but wonderful Catholic school for grades K-12.

All four of the public school buildings in town appeared to be in good condition. They were well kept and at least sufficient for the students. In the first few years I was there, the district built a stand alone administration building on the campus of an elementary and middle school.

In the subsequent years, it became apparent that the high school was in definite need of improvement. Because of a lack of undeveloped property, there was little room for expansion. The track team, for example, had to go across town to run on the cinder track. The football field was on the high school campus, but no room for a track. Classroom space was at a premium and there were already a couple of portable classrooms being used when I arrived in 1977.

The district's patrons came to realize that something had to be done. I was happy to serve on one facilities committee. We took a couple of trips to high schools in Eastern Iowa looking at how they improved their buildings. Indee had no theater, for example. So we considered how we might renovate the gym to make it a theater, since there was already a stage at one end of the room.

I left that city in 1997 and the high school problem had not yet been resolved. In the following few years, an attempt was made to pass a bond issue for a new high school. It failed, then failed again and again and again. Finally, after at least five tries, it passed. And that leads to where I spent a recent afternoon.

Since it has been several years since I lived there, I realized that some of the teachers I remembered were retired and unfortunately, a few have passed away. One of my good friends is Loren Pink, who is the districts juvenile court liaison officer. That means he is paid through a combination of district and court funds and is in charge with steering wayward students back onto the right path. I knew I wanted to stop by and at least leave him a message if he was busy. As luck would have it, I arrived just as the students were dismissing and he met me at the front door, which shocked both of us. He became a very good guide.

It had been at least two or three years since I had last traveled to Independence. The last time I was there, the city had a new Fareway grocery store, new Wal-Mart on the south side of town and a new movie theater. But the same high school was in full use.

The school board was able to obtain several acres of land on the southwest edge of town, near the Mental Health Institute and near the Middle School campus. After more than $22 million later, the district is in its second year in a magnificent building that includes classroom wings for the junior high and high school students, a big commons area, a towering glass-enclosed entrance atrium with enough space to make one wonder how soon a Starbucks stand would be included. The gym, actually it's more like a field house, has room for three full basketball courts and seats 2,000. The weight room would make many small colleges envious and the wrestling room is one of the biggest I've ever seen, room enough for three full-size competition mats side by side. The community finally has a professional quality theater, which seats 700. The district also received a federal grant of more than $700,000 to include safe rooms to provide safe shelter in the event of bad weather. Pink said in a recent drill, the entire student body was able to find room in the safe room area, with room to spare.

While the building was completed a year ago, crews just recently completed work on the field turf installation on the football field, which is surrounded by an all-weather track. Makes me wish Coach Lyle Leinbaugh, former athletic director, track coach and football coach, was still alive to see these improvements. One of the best features of the new complex is its location. Pink pointed out that there is plenty of room for future expansion in at least two directions.

As students prepare for a new school year, unfortunately there are still many in this state and around the country who will be going back to antiquated buildings, with poor heating and cooling systems, crumbling walls and some with steps that would be very challenging to physically challenged students. The school I attended, Pleasant Valley, is a growing district that is so far keeping up with technology and educational standards. Independence has made a definite commitment with its new facility, after years of uncertainty.

And in the past five years, Belle Plaine has addressed facility issues with wonderful improvements to its two attendance centers.

Rural Iowa is an aging population. With a tough economy, the thought of any tax increase for new school facilities can be a tough sell. I am nearing retirement age and with no immediate hope of school-aged grandchildren, it might be logical that I would also be hesitant to favor school improvements. But I've spent so many years in so many schools that I am aware of just how important it is to make comfortable, functional centers for learning.

Congratulations to the folks in Independence for finally allowing for the construction of this wonderful new building. If you ever visit the school, take a few moments to stop and look at a large plaque near the front entrance where dozens of contributors are listed. It takes a village to raise a child. That kid going through the front doors of the school today might be your heart surgeon in the future!

Friday, August 8, 2014

We cheered for them on Saturday, will we see them on Sunday?

By Jeff Orvis

Ever since they pulled on the pads for their first youth league competition, they've been the big men on campus. They were the best on their junior high teams and that's how they made the high school varsity. They were the best on their high school teams and among the best in town, if the town was Chicago or New York. College coaches spent time in their living rooms, trying to impress them, as well as the parents.

They may have gotten some indication of the level of competition for attention when they were in the midst of the college recruiting process. But even then, there were well over 200 football programs that may have courted them.

The greatest dose of humility that many of these young men face comes when they play their last college football game. If they are really, really good, they may get a call from one of 32 NFL teams, either during the draft or immediately after when the free agent signing period begins.

If the call comes and they receive the invitation to preseason camp, reality slaps them in the face when they become just one of up to 100 young men with the same experiences, the same dreams.

The state of Iowa has never been considered the hotbed of prep football talent. But it does have several great college programs, including three state universities, with wonderful coaches. If the coaches are as good at salesmanship as they are in teaching gridiron fundamentals, they convince a fair number of those best in their high school kids to come out to Ames or Iowa City or Cedar Falls.

This story is about the select few of those young men who take that next step toward earning a living chasing that dream. For several years, as a newspaper and then online columnist and now as a blogger, I have marked this time of year with a look at the preseason rosters of the 32 NFL teams. From those rosters, I've discovered 54 players who played their college ball in the state of Iowa. As is usually the case, 34 of those players played for the Iowa Hawkeyes. There were 15 who played at Iowa State, three at Northern Iowa and one each at Drake and Coe. Twenty-two of the 32 teams have one or more players with Iowa ties. Buffalo, the New York Jets, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Carolina and Tampa Bay have four each.

There are 11 rookies in this group. The player with the greatest longevity is Atlanta's Jonathan Babineaux, a 10-year veteran from Iowa. Players with nine years experience include Drake place kicker Billy Cundiff of Cleveland, Chad Greenway of Iowa and Minnesota and Iowa State's Tim Dobbins of Atlanta.

With nearly a month until the start of the regular season, some of these players will stay on regular roster, some will sign with the practice squad, some will be cut and look elsewhere and a few will have to start on their next careers. The following is a list of those players, with their uniform numbers, names, positions, ages, height and weight, years of pro experience and their colleges.

Iowa NFL connections

Buffalo Bills