And now for something completely different. more

I am happy with my routine here in the local community, but from time to time need to step away and see the world from a new perspective. Rotary has most frequently provided the path, and so it was last weekend. I didn't go far – just Evanston and Chicago – but once there, the world came to me and 300 others at the Rotary Zones 25B and 29 Institute. more

Oct. 26, 1983: The Scott County Conservation Board recommended hunters be allowed to hunt deer in Scott County Park. The board felt it was necessary to cull the herd, which had grown to 400. Bob Sheets, district wildlife biologist for the Iowa Conservation Commission said up to 250 deer could be “harvested” without damaging the herd. more

The turf v. grass choice for Lancer Stadium I wrote about two weeks ago was decided by the school board Oct. 9. I was in the minority and too late to the conversation. Turf won. Grass lost. No dissenting opinions were reported. more

Oct. 21, 1998: Central Scott Telephone Company was teaming up with Iowa Wireless Services to offer the new Personal Communications Services system, which was described as a phone, a pager and voicemail all in one handset. “We try to be aggressive,” said CST general manager Norm Harvey, “Central Scott has tried to stay ahead with the new technology and that’s the reason we’re investing in the PCS business.” more

The Eldridge City Council’s finance committee brought a positive way forward for the Scott County Library to the Oct. 2 meeting. more

Oct. 10, 1973: Davenport voters overwhelmingly voted “no” on a forced annexation measure. The Eldridge City Council was moving to see what measures could be taken to ensure more growth within the town. Property owners in an area southwest of Eldridge had approached town leaders about how to voluntarily be annexed into town. more

Among the Chicago Cubs souvenirs I bought after their World Series championship in 2016, is a T-shirt with the players' names on the back – a reminder of what once was. more

Oct. 6, 1983: Park View Lutheran Church planned to celebrate the completion of its new addition with an open house and a special service. more

Guest speakers at schools have come a long way. more

Thank goodness someone wants the job. more

In “Impressions” published Nov. 23 last year, entitled “Count your blessings, instead of sheep,” I said I can see, walk and breathe because of advances in medical science. Next month I will turn 75 and be among 3.4 percent of the world’s population that age and older, according to United Nations statistics. The U.S. is among five countries (Canada, Germany, Japan, India) with 25 percent of the world’s population which account for half of persons 75 and older.. more

Sept. 26, 1973: Members of the Eldridge City Council asked the town’s lawyers to prepare an injunction against the City of Davenport, restraining them from continuing annexation proceedings on portions of Scott County that had already been voluntarily annexed into Eldridge. A special question on the Davenport ballot in the Oct. 2 primary election would ask voters to approve a forced annexation that would extend the city’s outer limits further into rural Scott County. more

Fifty years ago the Vietnam War was winding down, but time on the nightly news that previously reported war casualties and updates, was filled with the latest twists and turns of the Watergate investigation which would lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August 1974. more

Sept. 19, 1973: A busy agenda at the North Scott School Board meeting saw the seating of two newly elected members, Robert Carter of rural Princeton, and Dr. Marvin Elliott of Long Grove. The board also voted to proceed with a $1.2 million bond issue for the construction of a junior high, with an election to be held some time in November. more

Put this in the category of small annoyances, the absence of printed roster sheets at athletic contests, especially high school sports. It started with Covid and then became a fact accomplished, replaced by QR codes which navigate your smart phone to electronic rosters. more

Sept. 12, 1973: As the Iowa Highway Commission worked to finalize its plans for the proposed Highway 561, which would run north-south from Interstate 80 to the Wapsipinicon River, the Eldridge City Council learned that two east-west roads between Eldridge and Mt. Joy could be affected. As proposed, the new highway would stub off Lincoln Road and East Blackhawk Trail. The council wanted assurances that drivers would be able to cross the highway at these junctions. more

It’s CyHawk week when fans of two great universities put bragging rights on the line in a game that will be played Saturday at Iowa State’s Jack Trice Stadium. The rivalry is an annual tradition since 1977. more

Sept. 5, 1973: Construction was nearly complete on two new grain elevators at the Eldridge Cooperative Company. The elevators stood 137 feet tall, and two work crews alternated 12-hour shifts for eight days to keep construction moving. A new dryer would be able to handle 2,000 bushels per hour. more

Decorah native Rob Sand, 41, was doing well during his seven years in the Iowa Attorney General's office, giving white collar criminals their just rewards. Most notable among them was Eddie Tipton, the mastermind of the largest lottery rigging scheme in American history. Sand's book about the attempted heist, "The Winning Ticket: Uncovering America’s Biggest Lottery Scam," rates 4.5 stars on Amazon. more