We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
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Both of my parents are from large families as are most of my aunts and uncles. I am also am from a large family. There was never a shortage of cousins in my childhood and we always had lots of fun – especially when they came to the farm for a few days. My brothers and I were normally fairly well-behaved, but when our cousins were around we always managed to get into a lot of trouble. Dad would have to “take us aside” and remind us that just because our cousins were there, that did not mean...
I don't normally use my column as an advertising tool, so let me start by apologizing – but if you do read this, I think you'd agree there was a legitimate reason for it. (Unless you're a weird cat lady who hates dogs ... but I digress) Anyway, many people know our dog Bucky. He has played the role of Max the dog with the antler tied to his head as he walks with the Grinch in the last four Lena Christmas Parades, and the photo I am putting with this column was of him last summer walking in the L...
When my son was still in high school, he and I set out to restore a 70 year old tractor. This tractor was manufactured during the World War II years and had been neglected for about 40 when we got our hands on it. Well, we stripped the thing down to nothing more than a pile of parts with labels, organized an inventory of what we needed, took the engine to the machine shop to get it rebuilt, and that’s when we got a little distracted. What happened was, shortly after we started working on the t...
“And you wonder why I don’t worry about the butter.” Now, that phrase may not mean much to you, but in my house it has become a simple comment that sums up the marriage my wife and I enjoy. You see, on most things, I am really pretty easy-going. I just don’t get too riled up over the daily trials and tribulations we see on a regular basis. “My car won’t start!” “Go ahead and use mine.” “The dog is acting funny.” “I think he ate a slipper, he’ll be fine after he poops it out.” “We’re out of mi...
The same Chicago Democrat who brought us the SAFE-T Act (House Bill 3653) has filed new legislation that would further threaten public safety and impede law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe. As you may recall, the so-called SAFE-T Act was pushed through in the middle of the night when fewer eyes were following the legislature’s action. As I have stated many times, this law does nothing to improve safety in our communities. It heaped a slew of new mandates on police officers r...
Several years ago, I read a book authored by a man named David Hansen, titled The Art of Pastoring. The story-line in the book is his day to day routine as he pastored two rural churches in Montana. The theme he threads through each chapter is how to be a parable of Jesus Christ every day. One particular pastime this pastor enjoyed was trout fishing when he had a day off. He would travel up into the mountains and walk a mile or so into the back country to his favorite fishing spot and throw his...
Undoubtedly, the best comment about food that tastes bad came from George W. Bush when he said,” I don’t like broccoli, I’ve never liked broccoli, I’m President of the United States and I don’t have to eat broccoli ever again!” It was direct, to the point, and carried a ton of weight behind hit. Unfortunately, I’ve never held that kind of power - although I have uttered many comments about the food people have tried to force down my throat. My first one as a kid, or so I have been told, was whe...
San Francisco 49ers or Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City Chiefs and San Fransico 49ers. This is a question on many people’s minds as we move into the weekend of the “Big Game”. No matter which team you are rooting for it’s hard to deny the important role that farmers and agriculture play in this weekends’ festivities. Let us imagine a game without agriculture. That would include no tickets as tickets are printed on paper from trees and often use soy ink from soybeans. Some paper is even made of c...
Dan, Your article in yesterday’s paper about the Freeport City Council was one of your finest works since I have been a subscriber. I totally agree with your analysis of the names mentioned. Being on the Freeport Park Board I like how our board is run. And yes, I read my packet when I get it and again review it before the meeting. Also, side note, I was asked to run for city council in my ward. George Yarzak, Park commissioner. Freeport...
Many years ago, my wife and I were driving through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It was at night and a winter blizzard had blown in. We were on the switchbacks, winding our way down the mountain. At times the road was clear and we could see well. At other times, the falling snow was so heavy and thick and blowing, it was a total black out behind the wheel – like someone had thrown a blanket over the windshield. During those times, we were just guessing at where the road was. Off to our l...
Growing up in Indiana, it was almost a requirement that you loved basketball. Now, I’ve never gotten into the pros. Our artist Thomas is a huge Bulls fan and knows the NBA like I know the NFL, but that was never my cup of tea. For me, I always preferred the college hoops. You could play zone defense, the stall used to be a part of the game, and there was just a lot more strategy involved and players weren’t going through the motions for a paycheck. Anyway, back in 1976, when I was only 13, I c...
In less than ten weeks, the Stephenson County Farm Bureau Young Leader’s Committee will host the 7th Annual Bruce Johnson Memorial Farm to Farm 5K/10K Race on April 6, 2024. All proceeds from this event will go to supporting Agriculture in the Classroom efforts in Stephenson County. Entry fee includes race shirt, refreshments, prizes, finisher medals and a swag bag. Shirts and finisher medals cannot be guaranteed after March 22, 2024. The out-and-back course starts and ends at Kent Farms (...
During the 2023 session, Republicans in the Senate and House fought hard to continue a tax credit scholarship program for low-income Illinois school children. Through private donations made to a special fund, children in schools that were failing them for whatever reason had an opportunity to improve their chances for academic success by moving to a learning environment that met their needs. Donors to the program received a 75% Illinois income tax credit in exchange for their donations. It was i...
Hi Dan, Thanks for your very detailed report on Freeport City Council deliberations in Village Voices. Did you tape record it? Sadly, our J-S newspaper, which is better known here as Our Daily Disappointment, contains extremely little local news. Actually, 99% of the papers' content merely consists of warmed-over Rockford news – which happened to be originally written to appear in the Rockford Star rag or Gannet's sister newspaper, USA Today. Thanks again, Dick Shouer Freeport Hey Dan, A couple names from Aquin to add to the 1000 point list w...
You can’t make everybody happy. You’re not a taco. We have a friend, Ed, who served in combat in Vietnam. We first met about 8 years ago. When he found out I was a pastor, he said that he wrote God out of his life when he was on the battlefield in Vietnam. My wife and I invited him and his wife to church. She was happy to join us when she could, but Ed wasn’t much interested, although he was a bit curious. Then one day he came up with the idea that he would come to church and afterward, we wo...
Ever have something pop up that immediately brings back memories? We got a press release in regarding the upcoming 4H Summer Camp, and while at first the headline “Change Your Child’s Life” hit me as a bit of an overstatement, the more memories of my childhood, and trips to summer camp each year, flooded my brain – the headline is spot on. When I was a kid, my parents would send my older brother, sister and I off for a week at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. They would separate everyon...
Happy New Year! The Greater Freeport Partnership is the place where people come together to advocate and work toward great things for Freeport and Stephenson County. Our talented team and great volunteers work in the areas of economic development, business and entrepreneur support, tourism, and events. Looking ahead, we want to share a short digest of projects and initiatives that are upcoming in 2024 and ways you can get involved. In January, we will launch the Business Academy for Small...
As I write this column it is Thursday, January 18 and it is 14 degrees out, which is much warmer than the beginning of the week. The beginning of the week brought canceled school, extracurriculars and office closures. The Farm Bureau continued our normal routine, but as I drove between Stephenson and Carroll Counties, I thought about our farmers who even though at times the temperature was negative 17 degrees, our dedicated farmers worked diligently to care for their livestock. Their commitment...
The following may or may not be a true story. There was a foursome at the golf course who walked on together for an afternoon of golf. None of them knew each other prior to this event. One was a senior Pastor and another was a somewhat cocky younger man. The other two men had retired from the work force and golf was part of their retirement regimen. At a short par 3, the Pastor asks the young man, “What club are you going to use on this hole? The young man replied, "An 8-iron, Pastor. How a...
When I was a junior in High school, we always did the traditional Madrigal Dinner – complete with a full meal where the Concert Choir made up the serving staff, the Orchestra provided the musical accompaniment, and the Swing Choir dressed up in medieval garb and performed classic carols throughout the dinner and afterwards. It was a huge fundraiser for the music department, and we had packed houses every night of the six or seven nights before Christmas that were performed. Anyway, the whole p...
On Friday, January 26 the Carroll County Farm Bureau Young Leaders will host their Annual Harvest For All Campaign. For those who may not be familiar with this program, Harvest for All is a program within the Young Leader Committees of Illinois Farm Bureau to combat food insecurity across the state. Each January the Carroll County Farm Bureau Young Leaders collect corn from local farmers, sell it and then donate the proceeds to Carroll County Food pantries. This year the event will take place...
For the last 18 months, Governor JB Pritzker has quietly issued consecutive 30-day disaster proclamations for the State of Illinois as it relates to the migrant crisis and the hordes of non-citizens making their way to Illinois from the U.S. southern border. These orders grant him massive power to bypass the Legislature, a co-equal branch of government, and move and spend budget dollars how he sees fit. Indeed, Governor Pritzker and I do not agree on much, but we agree that the flood of...
Last Saturday, a group of 19 of us returned from a 5-day trip to Clarksville, Tennessee where we went to help with disaster relief after tornadoes went through that area on December 9th. We were there because two members of our church have a disaster relief organization they have developed over the last 17 years called “No Excuses Disaster Relief.” They contacted the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International and they helped coordinate the relief event. It takes a lot of impromptu coordinatio...
If you know nothing about fantasy football, you might want to skip this week’s column. But for those who do … I got a good one. First, some background. I play in a fantasy league with my wife in a family league made up primarily of members of my daughter, Caitlin’s husband’s (Jake) and his family. Jake is the commissioner, and I took great pride in beating him in week one because he is a “loud” Packer fan, while I bleed purple. Anyway, the way Yahoo sports runs the leagues, whoever you pick fi...
More than $192,000 in scholarships are available for agriculture students through the IAA Foundation. “We are once again pleased to offer a scholarship program that encourages students to explore degrees in agriculture related fields,” said Jennifer Smith, IAA Foundation development manager. “It is imperative that the next generation of agriculture leaders receives the financial support they need to stay immersed in their education and build their career in agriculture.” Agriculture student...
