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A thank you for a job well done

During a big winter storm such as the monster that dropped 13.5 inches of snow on Fort Dodge recently, lots of people like to stay inside, sipping their favorite hot beverage while they watch the white stuff pile up outside. But one group of people goes out in every storm, and the work of these unsung heroes makes it possible for everyone to travel in snowy conditions. They are the men and women who drive snowplows. They are employed by the Iowa Department of Transportation, counties and cities. Their mission requires them to maneuver big trucks and sometimes, motor graders and ...

Lights at Kennedy makes season bright

As Christmas approaches, the campground at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park has once again been transformed into a holiday wonderland. The 22nd annual Lights at Kennedy will help make the season more festive for area residents and visitors. Additionally, the event raises money to support local service groups. This is the first weekend that the lights are on. Actually, they went on Friday and are scheduled for Sunday evening, with Saturday cancelled due to inclement weather. The lights will also be on Dec. 12-14 and Dec. 19-21. Each day, the displays will be lit up from 6 p.m. to 9 ...

A Time for Angels helps those who mourn

The death of a loved one is the emotional equivalent of getting hit by a train. There’s almost nothing that can create the bewildering range of emotions that the death of a loved one can generate. The range of emotions can include anger, fear, sadness, loneliness and other feelings that defy ordinary description. And those emotions can hit hardest during the holiday season. The staff of Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services is well aware of that. They also believe that grief shared is grief that is diminished. Keeley Gunderson came up with the idea for a community ...

This holiday season, support your hometown businesses

Tens of millions of Americans will do most, if not all, their holiday season shopping with giant online retail operations this year. They will argue that it is more convenient or safer for them to do so rather than patronize local brick-and-mortar stores. Now, Fort Dodge will soon become home to one of Amazon’s last-mile delivery stations. The massive building is being constructed now. This is great news for the future of the community, but it is no reason to give up on the existing local retailers. Local retailers, from mom-and-pop specialty shops to the big-box stores, rely on ...

Shared Thanksgiving is fine tradition

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday that features family, food, and yes, the occasional football game. In the spirit of the holiday, thousands of people in the Fort Dodge region gathered around tables with relatives and friends for a traditional feast on Thursday. Dining room tables throughout the area were laden with turkeys, stuffing, corn, cranberries, green bean casseroles, pies and all kinds of other delicious things. But some of our neighbors couldn’t afford such a meal. Perhaps some lost a job; perhaps others had been hit with unexpected and high medical bills. The ...

Let us give thanks

Sometimes in America, it seems as if we actually enjoy advertising our trials and difficulties. And, yes, we have had plenty of them this year. There were really trying times in the early days of our nation also. That is why America’s first formal Thanksgiving observance had far more significance to our people than today’s often perfunctory observance. With all our troubles, we Americans are among the very few people in the world who feel it necessary to officially observe a day of thanksgiving. The words of George Washington, our first president, recognized that need. His Oct. ...