A Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper
Thank you to area residents and businesses who stepped up to help our neighbors in need during the recent federal government shutdown.
The donations of food were abundant. The monetary donations were used to purchase grocery gift cards. Know that those who received your donations are grateful for your incredible generosity.
We encourage you to continue to donate food to Upper Des Moines Opportunity as they will continue to support those who face food insecurity throughout the year. You may also contact any of the area churches who provide to those who seek help from them as well.
Maggie Martinez, Fill the Gap Committee
With the successful write-in candidacy of Meg McKeon for the open mayor position, the council is now faced with the issue of replacing her on the council. The choice is to schedule a special election for the remaining two years of McKeon’s term, which is costly, or having the council appoint a person to fill the vacancy. Since Charles Hernandez has indicated interest in city government through his write-in campaign and McKeon herself has suggested that she “anticipates working with Hernandez in some capacity at city hall in the future,” perhaps the council should consider appointing Mr. Hernandez to this open seat. Given his clearly expressed interest in serving the city, this might seem a logical move.
Sandra Madsen, Former mayor, Bettendorf
I want to share why plants are so important for Storm Lake and the world. Plants give us food and oxygen. They clean the air and protect the soil. Without plants we won't survive.
One place that shows plants matter is the Heritage Tree Museum in Storm Lake. People can see and learn about many kinds of trees there, like the Red Maya that turns red in fall, which is pretty cool. It also provides food for squirrels and birds. The Heritage Tree Museum helps us remind everyone in Storm Lake how nature connects us all.
I hope that more people in Storm Lake will visit the Heritage Tree Museum and take care of the plants around them. When we protect plants we protect ourselves.
Sisco Ada, Storm Lake High School
Health should be a top priority for all people, and good health is something to be thankful for. Many factors contribute to health, such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress, but one that isn’t often discussed is avoiding harmful substances. The environment has a significant impact on human health. One current issue affecting human health and the environment is pesticides.
Pesticides have very real health impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.
Pesticides have been linked to childhood cancer, obesity, asthma, diabetes and neurodevelopmental delays.
Even for adults, chronic exposure to pesticides is correlated with cancer, reproductive issues and neurological issues and diseases.
I am writing to show there is a solution: stop using pesticides for cosmetic purposes. Urban pesticide use for only cosmetic purposes is not necessary and poses a large public health risk. By simply not using pesticides in urban areas, people may live healthier lives. This is the exact mission of Good Neighbor Iowa, a non-profit statewide public health education initiative advocating for pesticide-free lawn care. If you would like to help create a healthier environment, pledge to no longer use urban pesticides at goodneighboriowa.org.
Together, we can protect the health of children, adults and our neighbors.
Jordan Holloway, Cedar Falls
In a state/country divided along political/religious/economical philosophies, I still needed someone to haul away my leaves every fall and spring and found it almost impossible to discover an individual and/or company who would be willing do so! The leaves kept falling — what could I do? One day, while raking these cumbersome leaves, I looked up to my neighbor’s home and viewed several workers “cleaning up” the outside of said property. Could these individuals be the answer to my leaf dilemma... maybe?
I approached and encountered Chris Muccino (owner of Coastal Property Maintenance, Bath, Maine) and explained my situation to him. Yes, he could assist me in the removal of my leaves! So, that day marked the beginning of our future and... yet to be still unknown creative collaboration. In the interim, for some three years now, every fall and spring, he reliably and professionally picks up and hauls away these pesky leaves and twigs. Most importantly, however, besides the removal of leaves, we have ever so slowly and cautiously, based on trust, “pulled back the layers” of our lives to reveal our unspoken “passions,” namely, Chris is a musician, songwriter/composer (along with his co-writer Sheridan), and producer of albums and CDs for their band “Human Moods.” I, on the other hand, am a gold medal-winning artist, utilizing thousands of ink dots on paper (Pointillism technique) to create my artworks.
Could these two individual passions ever possibly intersect over time? Yes, and indeed they have! His music and my artwork have recently been creatively joined together in the production of the vinyl album and CD titled “Enigma” by Human Moods (“Age: just a number, not a superficial assumption,” Storm Lake Times Pilot, Aug. 8, 2025).
So, notwithstanding all other differences (e.g., age, politics, education, wealth, etc.), if trust between two individuals can be established and, thereafter, maintained, and their passions harnessed together, wonderful outcomes can occur! But you must be willing to “take that chance” and reveal yourself to others — a task sometimes easier said than done. Being open to others, however, has its own lasting rewards!
John M. Mishler, Harpswell, Maine
While I wish Chuck Schumer would step down, I don’t engage in arguments about the Democrats because the recent shutdown was caused by Republicans, who rushed passage of a hastily-written Big Ugly Bill with massive cuts to both food and health care benefits. Those cuts were added to finance tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations.
In negotiating the reopening Senate Republicans offered a meager salve by promising to hold a vote on the ACA. How generous, coming from a party whose leader promised universal coverage and lower health care costs back in 2016. During Trump’s first term Republicans voted over 70 times to repeal the ACA, failed every time and never provided their promised replacement. After suffering through the longest shutdown in our country’s history, we’re still waiting. (Elephants have far shorter gestation periods.)
But one result of the Republicans’ refusal to negotiate and their disdain for the ACA is they bear the onus to provide an actual plan and to do so in a timely fashion, because their Big Ugly Bill results in people losing health insurance by year-end. When asked about his ACA replacement in September 2024 Trump said he had a “concept of a plan.” That was not a true statement. All he had then, and all Republicans have now, is a con.
Our job is to keep holding Republicans to account and demanding to see their plan. It’s time for Republicans to extend current ACA tax credits and negotiate seriously with Democrats to improve the ACA and our other health care programs.
Sue Ravenscroft, Ames
A journalist recently asked President Trump about legal authority to blow up Caribbean boats. He answered that authority comes from the fact illegal drugs kill people in America.
This shows that #47 does not recognize sources of authority other than his own right hand.
The President made no mention of statutory law, constitutional law, international law, treaty agreements, the Supreme Court, rules of engagement... just his own peculiar brand of animal instinct. He must do it because “I alone can fix it.”
Does it matter that innocent people die in this Latin American manhunt? Nope. Does it matter that the American people and their elected representatives have no say in the new system of rule by the king of the jungle? Nope.
Is it sad that nobody else but him is smart enough to get things done? Yes, it is very sad.
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
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