If your house was like ours over the holidays, you were picking up a lot of wrapping paper. It makes me wonder how much money we all spend on this stuff to put around boxes. The answer, in America alone, is $2.6 billion. That’s a lot of money. And, that’s a lot of paper, much of which cannot be recycled. 

I have written in the past how my dad would use newspaper for gift-wrapping, preferably the Sunday comics section. That makes perfect sense to me. A reader reached out to me to share how his father gave every gift in a brown paper bag. That also makes perfect sense. Paper bags are, after all, the perfect short-term containers with their flat bottoms, sturdy sides and pleats for easy folding. When I was a kid, we used them for book covers, costumes, kites and more. The Unknown Comic even made them popular on “The Gong Show” in the 1970s. 

By 1982, many of America’s largest supermarket chains were switching from paper to plastic bags. By 1985, 75% of U.S. supermarkets were offering plastic bags to their customers. One would assume that costs played into this, but we were also in a time when anything made from paper was blamed for a shortage of trees while plastic seemed like it came straight from Mother Nature’s hands. Now, those plastic bags are seen hanging in the tree branches. Hmmm. 

Margaret Knight, who worked for the Colombia Bag Factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented the flat-bottomed paper grocery bag more than 150 years ago. Her job was to fold the paper bags by hand, which was horribly inefficient. This led Margaret to work on designs for a machine that would automate the manufacturing of the paper bags and modify them so they were flat on the bottom. After numerous revisions and lengthy and expensive court battles, Margaret was awarded a patent for her machine in 1871. 

Margaret’s bag offered a wonderful solution for shoppers who were bringing their own containers to stores for transporting groceries home. Folks back then didn’t have the reusable bags that are so popular today, so the paper bags were welcomed, literally, with open arms. 

The design of Margaret’s bag improved over the years, thanks mostly to Charles Stilwell’s design that added pleats to the sides, making folding and stacking easier. It became known as the S.O.S. bag, or “Self-Opening Sack.”

Meanwhile, for the most part, Margaret’s original bag is quite similar to the brown paper grocery bags still used today, albeit sparingly, in grocery stores — and in packaging a few gifts. That’s a little food for thought for you as you stuff all that wrapping paper in the garbage can this week.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading. 

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Many of you likely received some type of electronics as Christmas gifts. And, you may be wondering what to do with your old stuff. I was sorting through boxes of outdated electronic devices recently. Laptops. Cell phones. iPods. iPads. Cameras. And an incredible assortment of wires. Each time that my wife, our kids or I would purchase new devices, the old ones would go in this box. I hung on to them because, well, I just might need them someday. That day has never come, so now I have to figure out what to do with decades of this stuff. 

I am most intrigued with the cameras. Three decades ago, I published an automotive photo magazine, and I took thousands of pictures of vehicles with a 35mm film camera. The process of how we developed film, made prints and prepared the pages for press is laughable now — and so is the camera. But, I still have it, along with an array of the earliest of digital cameras that we experimented with — and a handful of video cameras, too. Who would have guessed that we would someday carry around phones that have cameras much better than any of these devices, and that we would keep hundreds of images stored on them — and in something we would call “the cloud”?

I also found my fourth generation iPod with the click wheel. It won’t take a charge anymore, but I keep thinking I might find a way to make it work. A bunch of my kids’ iPod Minis are also packed in the box, in a variety of colors and tangled in a mess of wired earbuds.

The laptops are the clunkiest of the items. I remember having my first one — an Apple PowerBook 100 with a 9-inch black-and-white screen and a “trackball pointing device.” That was a $2,500 computer in the early 1990s. I thought I was high tech. The devices I am blowing the dust off now certainly have more features than the PowerBook 100, but they are still useless today — unless you need a really heavy paperweight. Or 10.  

So how do I safely dispose of these things? Some say to soak them in water. Start them on fire. Smash them with a hammer. But, then do what with the remains? The better option is to wipe, remove or shred the hard drives so the data thieves can’t access your social security number, credit cards, bank accounts, and website logins and passwords. Then find a company or organization that offers computer recycling. Or, you can throw them in a box with years of other devices… just in case you need them someday. 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

I first shared this story locally in the Times Vedette printed edition three years ago, and I published it last year in this digital edition. I am pleased to share it again today. Call it tradition, as that is what this story is all about.

The piece was written in 1977 by Bob Hullihan, a writer for The Des Moines Register. Michael Gartner, who was the editor then, asked Hullihan to write a Christmas story for the newspaper. Hullihan obliged, and it ran in the Register. Years later, when Gartner co-owned The Tribune in Ames, he ran it there as well.

Eighteen years ago, Gartner reached out to me and told me how much he valued traditions. He then asked that I consider running Hullihan’s story in CITYVIEW. I wholeheartedly agreed to it, but I wanted to add a strong visual element, too, so I asked cartoonist Brian Duffy to draw the images for me. He did, and the combination was truly wonderful.

The next year, Gartner reached out and asked if I was planning to run the story again.

“Again? The same story we ran last year?” I replied.

“Yes, it is a great tradition that I think you should continue,” Gartner told me. “But it’s your call,” he said.

I reluctantly ran the story again, ironically missing the underlying message about traditions and the changing of the guard that are prevalent in the story. So I read Hullihan’s Christmas classic again. And again. And again.

Eighteen years have passed, and I have been running that story with artwork from Duffy every year — and I will here, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and can make its reading a tradition for you and your family as well.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Most of you have likely completed all of your Christmas shopping by now. Since there are only a few more days till Christmas, that’s a good thing. Hopefully, you were able to purchase products and services from the many local merchants in the area. That effort truly does make a difference.

I am amazed at the sincere appreciation I feel each time I buy something from a local business. The reply is not just a robotic thank you, but rather a heartfelt gratefulness for choosing to spend my dollars locally rather than with an online global chain that connects with me only by my credit card number.

With our company being a locally owned business, we also sincerely appreciate when businesses choose to market with us. It helps us invest in our staff, our facilities, our publications and our communities. We know that local businesses have all kinds of advertising options today, and that the out-of-towners swoop in frequently with something bright and shiny and new to sell them. So, with that in mind, I want to say thank you to the local businesses that continue to choose to market their goods and services to each of you through our growing family of publications. 

Loyalty is said to be a thing of the past, but that’s not what we see. We see locally owned business owners and managers who look out for each other, support each other, and buy from each other during good times and bad — and encourage others to do the same. We see smart people who aren’t distracted by the fly-by-night media reps who show up for a few weeks and then disappear, but instead show their support for those who helped them get to where they are. And we see business owners and managers who truly appreciate their customers and their vendors alike, and they don’t hesitate to show it. That’s appreciation. That’s community. That’s loyalty. 

None of us are perfect, and we can all improve, but I want to thank those in the local business community for being here to serve all of us. We appreciate you. And for those of you who still need to some last-minute shopping, our local merchants would be glad to help you out. 

Merry Christmas to all, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

My recent pregnant reindeer column inspired a few of you to share thoughts about Santa’s sleigh-pullers, specifically a red-nosed one named Rudolph. I summarized a few of them, and I share of few of my comments as well. I am now inspired to take 52 minutes and watch the 1964 Christmas stop motion TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to recall these life lessons. 

1. It’s OK to be different. That red nose made Rudolph stand out, which, in the end, proved to save the day for Santa and the sleigh. What makes you unique? And how can you use that to help others?
2. Don’t judge others based on their differences. Rudolph was mocked for his difference, and he wasn’t allowed to play in the reindeer games. Unfortunately, meanness is not reserved for the youth. Negatively judging others is easy to do, and we have all done it. How can we turn that around and seek to learn from our differences?
3. You can’t run away from your problems. Rudolph tried, but that wasn’t the solution. Our problems seem to follow us, no matter where we go. The real challenge is in deciding how to face those problems head on and make the best of the situation.
4. Parents make mistakes, too. This is a difficult one for kids to understand — until they become parents. Rudolph’s mom and dad didn’t seem to grasp his situation, and they erred by not listening and handling it properly. We can all do better with this.
5. Never underestimate the underdog. We hear success stories like Rudolph leading the sleigh, but, in reality, those are few and far between. What we don’t hear about are the smaller (and maybe more important) victories — the positive thoughts, the heartwarming smiles and the uplifting moments that can come about from a simple comment or deed. Those can wake up the underdog and make small but meaningful differences.
6. If others aren’t doing what needs to be done, try showing them the way. We get stuck in a rut sometimes and fail to think outside the box. Sometimes we need a youngster like Rudolph to get us to think differently and solve a problem. Who can you learn from today?

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Most of you reading this were born and raised in Iowa and have dealt with winter weather driving. If you weren’t, then you are forgiven for your awful driving habits when the snow hits. For the rest of you who have experienced this many, many times… come on. It’s snow. It’s slippery. Keep moving. 

You know exactly what I’m talking about. The first snowflakes fall, and traffic on the roads drops to a standstill. Tires apparently don’t rotate in a quarter-inch of snow. By March, the majority of Iowa’s winter-weather drivers are plowing through 3-foot snowdrifts like a hot knife through butter, but the first few snowfalls seem to create unnecessary problems each year. Why is that? Are our memories that short? Do the hyped-up weather reports with new names like “ground blizzards” scare us? Or are we just appropriately cautious?   

Some people seem to be snowfall opportunists and see winter storms as a chance to offer excuses — to call in sick to work, to be late for anything, or to not show up at all. I would guess you know someone who is coming to mind right now. 

A friend of mine who owned a business in Colorado told me that getting his staff members to show up for work after a snowfall was nearly impossible, but he said they could somehow make it to the ski slopes. Amazing.

Even here in Iowa, I have dealt with a handful of employees who would call in after a snowfall and say they could not make it to work because they could not get their vehicle out of the driveway. Getting up earlier to shovel was apparently not a consideration, and they must have missed the weather reports that forecasted the storm days in advance. When I offer to drive to their homes and pick them up, it is remarkable how many people can suddenly get their cars moving. Fortunately, those situations are rare, as most Iowans do plan accordingly, and safely, while making their jobs and their everyday schedules a priority. 

Like most things in life, this, too, is about preparation and planning. Jolene and I were on a trip to Lake Tahoe several years ago, and more than a foot of snow fell overnight. By 6 a.m. the next morning, every road was plowed, every sidewalk was shoveled, and the stores had employees opening their doors and ready to serve customers. 

Now, certainly, some people should not be out in winter weather. If driving on dry pavement is a challenge, don’t risk it on ice. Stay home. Maybe move to Arizona. But, for the rest of us, it is business as usual — winter weather in Iowa. 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707