Mark's favorite photo moments

Feb. 1, 2019. On the lookout for weather art, I found this tow truck driver rescuing semis abandoned in the Eldridge Hardee's parking lot. Lots of ditched vehicles and drifted drives. Good to capture a helper.

Nov. 8, 2019. I'm reporting on American Legions expansion of membership eligibility to all vets. Vietnam vet Tom Andresen, of Eldridge, talked with me about why he enjoys participation. Then he mentioned the letter his father wrote home after D-Day. "I'll bring it down," he said. Thirty minutes later I'm transcribing a young Iowan's first-hand of 1944 in England and France.

March 2, 2019. Grissom Elementary student Sedi Beydler thinks hard about a book quiz question at Scott County Library. Fabulous expression. And the grand daughter of a good friend.

March 12, 2019. Travis Shewmake was among North Scott Junior High students challenged to experience the world with a disability. How do you tie a shoe with one hand? Travis attacked the problem and learned a terrific lesson.

March 27, 2019. I'm no portrait photographer. This opportunity screamed out when spring sun shined off the old bank vault frame. The story marked completion of McCausland's new city hall. Mayor Buz Koehn stopped in the door frame of the vault-turned-storage room.The century-old bank has been a bar, store, beauty parlor and about everything else before the city initiated the renovation. May it last another 100 years.

May 4, 2019. Park View residents linger with Scott County Supervisors after this first forum at the Scott County Library in Eldridge about regulating rental property. After 90 minutes of heavy discussion, participants hung out for another half hour of community-involved governance.

May 24, 2019. These White Elementary girls beamed Lancer pride for the end-of-school cap 'n gown walk. High school grads visited their elementary alma maters.

June 7, 2019. Jazzarai Thomas shows a page full of signatures collected on White Elementary's last day. And, yes, Jazz, I was thrilled to sign my autograph.

June 28, 2019. I'm no kind of sports photographer. So catching the Lancers score this out at Assumption was very memorable.

July 1, 2019. That's Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and Estonian ambassador to the U.S. Jonatan Vseviov discussing the merits of Lewis Machine & Tool firearms. Estonia committed to buying $25 million in Eldridge- made rifles. And the senator gave a rousing endorsement of the NATO alliance.

July 17, 2019. I'd asked Park View Water and Sanitary District operator Brent Earley to let me know when he would 'salt' the sewage lagoon. This organic powder consumes sludge. He'd discussed it enough, and I was interested enough to join him and assistant Rick Baughman at 8 a.m. for their sewage lagoon cruise.

Feb. 15, 2019. The line of utility workers replaces 24 poles along First Street between Eldridge and Long Grove. Rarely do I find such strong vertical images that so accurately tell the story.

Aug. 7, 2019. Any of my Night Out images taken on the Eldridge-Long Grove trail would work. But I like this ground-level shot of Cooper Harrison, of Long Grove, and puppy Brinn on the trail. The Night Out began in 2018, returned in 2019 and I hope it continues.

Aug. 20, 2019. Retiring high school custodian Dick Erps crossed the auditorium stage to a wave of cheers. I've shot the employee recognition for a few years now. This left an impression. Erps scored a hole in one, and served as homecoming parade marshal the same year.

Sept. 1, 2019. Cool lines and angles, though I wish I'd avoided that flag pole through Cory Clark's face. This memory was one of those North Scott moments. I'm shooting the Donahue parade. Turns out I'd shot Cody Clark a month before in Walcott for our day-in-the-life of Scott County project.

Sept. 12, 2019. Scott County Supervisors visited 20 town councils this year, including this trip to Park View Owners' Association. Supervisor Tony Knobbe listens intently to Association president Mike Wright, a gentle soul whose gesture was emphatic, not accusatory. This memorable moment captured the essential work of governance: Citizens passionately articulating concerns and elected officials listening.

Sept. 18, 2019. Miss Iowa USA Baylee Drezek had spoken for 30 minutes before someone asked about her crown. The North Scott alumna returned with pageant stories. But Kaylee Chase wanted to know about the crown. That's when Baylee put it on her head, as classmates Addilynn Ahrens and Elin Wilske respond in awe.

Sept. 27, 2019. Brant Beaston gets green-bombed at the Junior High color run, where there are no bad images. The students' exuberance gets all over everyone. The trick is staying up wind.

Oct. 18, 2019. Dull meeting photo. But memorable reporting moment. Scott County's supervisors and land development leaders gathered to talk about rural development, a big interest of NSP readers. Lynn Gibson and Dan Portes were listening intently when a ray of sunshine broke through the county building's flourescent light just about the time conversation was really getting good. i find public governance work and study sessions to be wonderfully informative.

Nov. 2, 2019. I drove Scott County gravel roads for an hour trying to get a photograph of harvesting in the snow. The Halloween snow fall was melting, and most fields remained too wet. So I settled for this detailed image that captured the phenomenon, but didn't tell much of a story. Until I found the next image.

Nov. 2, 2019. Amy Nelson combines a dry patch of her family cornfields. I'd just about given up finding field work in photo range when she pulled over the hill, waved, then invited me to ride along. Lots of images that day. I like this framed by a muddy road.

Nov. 27, 2019. Brand new Scott County Sheriff's Deputy Anthony Johnson goofs around with his son. Sheriff Tim Lane swore in Johnson and another deputy, Zach Ahrens. Zach's infant daughter Emerson stole the show. But the stoic Johnson, an Army veteran, drew my attention when he started cutting up with his son.

Dec. 16, 2019. Chloe Schwab sparkles Andrew Park with glitter, one of a thousand careful details in "The Nutcracker" presentation by Tina's Dance Studio. I've seen oodles of Nutcrackers as the father of dancers. So I thought I knew what I was looking for whle shooting rehearsals. Tina Lindle's glorious details surprised me and the crowd that filled North Scott High School Auditorium for what may be an annual tradition.

April 18, 2019. This one wasn't for The NSP. Daughter Linnea Ridolfi performs in Bravespace, a touring aerial arts act presented by Aloft studio in Chicago. The tour made stops in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Arizona can California, and stopped in Rock Island on the way home. This shot is from Lincoln, Neb., where we were joined by my late mom's sister, Aunt Alice, and my brother Tim, who passed away later that year.