Small, medium or large? Those options sound simple enough, but my how have they changed in the last few decades. 

I stopped into a convenience store the other day to buy a small fountain drink. I searched for the small cups. And searched. And searched. The “small” was 24 ounces — the equivalent of two 12-ounce cans of soda. The medium was 32 ounces, and the large was 42 ounces! Each of those options was far more soda than I wanted.

So, I walked over to the cooler and looked for a simple can of soda. And looked. And looked. The store I was at only sold 20-ounce plastic bottles of soda. I was working up a thirst just trying to find a small soda option.

Then along comes Starbucks and throws another wrench in the serving cup dilemma. I don’t go to Starbucks very often, but when I do, I have to remember that a small coffee is a Short, a medium is a Tall, and a large is a Grande. My, lord, this is confusing, and I am not even into the sizes of Venti or Trenta, or whatever they are called. 

What changed? Why is a small no longer small, and why is a large a behemoth? Has our consumer behavior really dictated this? 

A 2012 story in Mother Jones explained the trend at the time, noting that when McDonald’s struck a partnership with Coca-Cola in 1955, the only beverage size available was a 7-ounce cup. By 1994, McDonald’s was offering fountain drinks size six times larger. The article goes on to state that franchise convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Kum & Go all offered drinks upwards of 85 ounces — about three times the capacity of a normal human stomach!

After further research, I learned that, yes, our consumer behavior is dictating this. But, don’t fret, there is a one-word solution for all of this oversizing: share. 

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

Many of you are quite familiar with our company’s Best of Des Moines poll that readers of CITYVIEW magazine have participated in for more than a quarter of a century. If you are not, check out the results in this month’s CITYVIEW (which will be available next week on racks in Guthrie County — while they last) or online at www.dmcityview.com. CITYVIEW’s Best of Des Moines certificates are proudly displayed in stores, restaurants, bars and offices, and the recognition provides an incredibly positive impact to the people, places, businesses and events that are deemed the winners. 

This year’s Best of Des Moines poll consisted of 271 questions with a whopping 22,969 votes — the most ever in the history of the poll. I have learned a lot in administering this poll and the related event that we have now hosted for 16 years.

A few years ago, we implemented a similar effort with our 14 Iowa Living magazines called Residents’ Choice polls. Those polls are gaining traction now, too, and I expect them to continue to be game-changers for all involved.

The bottom line is that people want to know who local residents feel are the “best” in a variety of categories. It is a fun competition. Even so, whenever we do these types of reader polls, I have to stress that these are not our opinions but are the results of the votes of our readers. That is an important distinction. 

Well, if a readers’ poll works in Des Moines and it works in the suburbs and the nearby communities, why wouldn’t it work in Guthrie County? It will, and that’s why I am excited to launch the Best of Guthrie County poll. This is our inaugural effort, and the poll will certainly change in future years. Meanwhile, we came up with 82 categories for you to vote in. Best pizza. Best pastor. Best park. You get the idea. Simply fill in the blanks in one category or all 82. The poll will be promoted in our publications, emails, social media and mailers to encourage widespread participation. I hope you take the time to vote and to also share the link with your family, neighbors, co-workers and anyone in Guthrie County and encourage them to do the same.

We make it incredibly easy. You can choose to vote in just one category, or you can vote in all 82. But just like the political elections, once you submit your choices, you can’t go back. In case you are wondering, we catch the cheaters who try to vote more than once and throw those votes out, so don’t even try. Click here for the poll rules and the link to vote. 

I thank you in advance for voting and for helping us to recognize the people, places, businesses and events that make Guthrie County so great. 

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

Owning a home is something many Americans aspire to do. It is a feeling of accomplishment, of pride, of community. In some parts of the United States, it is certainly more doable than others. We are fortunate here in Guthrie County, as homes are more affordable than on the coasts.

The same could be said for commercial property, depending on who you talk with. Some business owners don’t desire to own the real estate where their companies reside. They would rather skip the hassles of repairs and insurance or the risk of declining values. In many cases, the business owners would prefer to invest their capital in their products, people or services instead of brick and mortar. Every situation is different, of course.

The Times Vedette and its predecessors have been located at 111 E. Main St. in Panora for more years than I can count. Old photos I have seen with Main Street as a dirt road show a sign saying NEWSPAPER on the front of the building. I respect that longstanding tradition. Through the years, I have helped the companies I worked for purchase a variety of publications, most of which came with commercial properties as assets of the sales. I spent countless days cleaning out truckloads of non-working press equipment, moldy darkrooms, outdated light tables and more junk from these old newspaper offices. Museums didn’t even want the stuff.

When I bought the Times Vedette, I took over a lease the prior publisher had, and I did a bit of cleanup — but nothing like other offices I dealt with. When the time came to make improvements to the building, I balked at putting my money into something I didn’t own. So I reached out to the building owner and asked if he would consider selling the property to me. He said he was more interested in buying properties than selling, and he politely declined. As such, I decided to look at other properties in Panora and Guthrie Center, and I found several that would work. I was ready to make an offer.

Then I thought about it more. As most of you know, moving isn’t fun, and it can be costly. With those things in mind, I decided to reach out to my landlord with a written offer. He accepted it, and I am now the owner of the Times Vedette building.

I tell you this because I think it’s important, at least it is to me. It furthers my commitment to the communities we serve, and it opens the doors for us to grow the company with additional products and services, which I look forward to sharing with you in the months ahead.

The American Dream continues.

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

I own a chainsaw, and I like the way it makes me feel. Every man should have a chainsaw. It’s a manly thing. Paul Bunyan-esque, you might say (without the axe). 

<br.< p=””> </br.<>

My choice is a gas chainsaw. 38cc. 16 inch. Automatic gear driven oiler. Starts with one pull. And it stores away in hard plastic case. It’s not the Mack truck of chainsaws, but I like it. And, yes, you need one. 

My wife thinks it’s silly. Unnecessary. For the most part, she is right. I have only used it a few times, and I probably could have borrowed my neighbor’s chainsaw or hired someone to cut up the tree limbs, but I didn’t. I got out my chainsaw, and I started sawing. 

President Ronald Reagan operated a chainsaw on the Reagan Ranch in the 1980s. He was in his seventies at the time, and he seemed to truly enjoy it. He clearly didn’t need a chainsaw, but he had one and used it. It seemed appropriate for President Reagan. President Trump or President Biden? Not so much. 

I have another chainsaw. Kind of. It is an electric version that my dad bought me a few decades ago to trim back a hedge of bushes each fall. It worked great for that task, but it was a bit sluggish for larger projects — and my manly neighbors made fun of it. I still get it out occasionally, when my neighbors aren’t watching. 

With the recent heavy snowstorms, I was hoping for an opportunity to dust off my chainsaw and put it to use. I carefully inspected my yard, but not a single limb had dropped. My neighbors’ yards looked clean, too. An opportunity missed. 

Even so, I am prepared for the next windstorm, in my flannel shirt, work boots laced up, chainsaw in hand, trying to be manly. All I need is a blue ox. 

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

Do you get cold feet? My inquiry is not an analogy or code for anything. It’s just a simple question. Do your feet get cold?

The website medicalnewstoday.com says your feet can feel cold due to cold temperatures, high stress, anxiety, circulation issues, anemia, diabetes mellitus, nerve disorders, hypothyroidism and other things most of us can’t pronounce. 

Some simple solutions, according to the same website, include movement, socks, foot baths, heating pads, water bottles and my favorite fix — slippers. 

Yes, slippers. Before you run off to the emergency room, you might want to give them a try. I have a half-dozen of them around my home and office. Call me Mr. Rogers if you want, but my feet are toasty, and it’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood.   

A good friend used to mock me for wearing them, especially when I would bring a pair over to his house when visiting. Then he started wearing slippers, or “house shoes,” as he calls them. 

As a child, I couldn’t stand to wear slippers. Seems like I received a pair every year for Christmas, but I rarely wore them. But, to be honest, I rarely wore shirts or pants around the house either. Like most kids, I was too warm-blooded for many body coverings. 

Most of us can recall the image of the father figure in the home, relaxing in the easy chair, reading the evening paper, smoking a pipe and having the family dog bring him his slippers. In our home, the evening image would be of me in the kitchen, filling the dishwasher, asking Alexa to play some Elvis music — and wearing slippers. It’s not the makings for a Hallmark movie, but I will take it, as long as I have my slippers.

Comedian/politician Al Franken may have summed it up best with the words, “It’s easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.”

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

I remember being in my thirties and telling a customer who was in his fifties that my body started hurting more once I turned 30. He laughed at me and said, “You just wait!”  I passed it off as just another old guy complaining about his aches and pains, and then I realized that I was the one who started the conversation about these aches and pains.

Several years ago, I listened to a former NFL player who spoke at a conference I was attending. As one of his humorous quips, he shared that he goes to bed feeling fine and he wakes up injured. Can you relate? How does this happen?

Yes, our bodies do hurt more as we age. Although some pains deal with things that are passed along in our genes, I am convinced that our lifestyle choices are the most significant factor. Yes, what we eat, how we choose to exercise (or not exercise), and how well we sleep are critical factors in how much we ache. 

I am also convinced that we are a softer generation, and how we have dealt with (or not dealt with) the COVID pandemic hasn’t helped matters. My grandfather could name the times he went to the doctor in his lifetime on one hand. My immediate family members have had more than 20 COVID tests. We jam a finger today, and we feel like we need to have an MRI done. Emergency rooms are full of people who don’t seem to understand what an emergency really is.

I am part of the problem, too. The aches and pains keep piling up, and popping a handful of ibuprofen does make me feel better. Of course, I could stop eating the foods that are causing me inflammation and have a regular exercise plan with plenty of stretching, but that’s a lot of work. 

So, like many of you, I deal with the aches. I complain about the pains. I try to avoid the injuries. And I am probably getting tested for COVID too often. But, as the saying goes, better safe than sorry. 

Thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115