Vander Streek Acres

I drove south out of Pella down South Clark Street past Pella Corp, over a bustling Highway 163 and into the country. South Clark turns into 228th Avenue at some invisible point along the way, and the road has a bit of a roller coaster feel to it. A stop sign greets travelers at the bottom of a hill as the undulating terrain eventually yields to the Des Moines River Valley that divides Marion County. T-17 originates here, and a right at the stop sign will bring you to Tracy or Knoxville within a few minutes. The Van Dusseldorp Sand and Gravel quarry lies straight ahead, mining gravel from old Des Moines River channels. I'm wondering how old the gravels are--if they washed down with glacial melt from the late Wisconsin ice sheets from somewhere up in Minnesota or Canada, or if they are older. But that's another story. The pavement ends on 228th and continues as a country road until it dead-ends at the river. I took a left on Lucas before that happened though, and climbed back into the hills again. Quick left and right climbing switchbacks brought me up the hill to grassy pastures punctuated by trees. Beautiful Christmas trees.

Soon a sign showed me that I had arrived. Vander Streek Acres. I got out of my truck under the pines, and heard pounding and conversation coming from a metal building. Paul Vander Streek hadn't seen me arrive, and walked past me to hang up a wreath decorated with a red bow. He saw me, smiled, and walked over and brought me into a metal building where the pounding was occurring. The pounding was the sound of Jayne Nunnikhoven and Nola Vander Streek making wreaths. Soon we were engaged in a conversation about Christmas trees. How Vander Streek Acres started, what kinds of trees are available, how the trees are managed, and how the Vander Streek family found it's way into the George H. W. Bush White House. I was also reminded that real Christmas trees are a green, renewable resource. The setting was serene, and lovely. I wandered around for a few minutes after the interview was over, absorbing the sights and sounds of nature on a warm autumn day. Paul had shared with me the fact that the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) can be found on the property, and I realized that I had never seen either before. Another time, I guess.

Hopefully in a few days when I bring the kids back to pick out a Christmas tree.


Dr. Bob Leonard

To listen to the interview, go to http://kniakrls.com, click on Radio Plus, and scroll down to In Depth Monday.

Avenue of Flags

Another Veteran's Day is behind us, and Marion County paid due tribute to our veterans. I stopped briefly by both free Hy Vee Breakfasts in Knoxville and Pella, spoke with a few friends, and took a couple of photos. Hundreds of veterans and their spouses were served breakfast, and as I watched them eat and converse with each other, I wished that I had the opportunity to speak with each and every one of them to learn their stories and share them with listeners. Of course, I have spoken to many Marion County veterans during my years at KNIA/KRLS, and have shared some of these stories, but never enough.

Perhaps my favorite Veteran's Day event is raising the flags for the Avenue of Flags at Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville. Over 200 flags are raised, and I have been told raising flags at Graceland has been the custom for over 50 years, with the details of the event's origins unclear.

Perhaps two dozen people of all ages gathered Tuesday, and flags were transferred from storage bins into the back of a pickup truck. A truck with poles slowly circled the cemetery, with volunteers pulling empty poles off of the truck and dropping them next to their stands along the paved paths through Graceland. A second truck followed, and from the bed of this truck Marilyn Miller passed out flags to those following who then attached the flags to the poles and raised them. Having attended for several years now the sounds are comforting, poles clanking to the ground, flag grommets snapping into place, metal sliding against metal, with a background of quiet conversation, and an occasional laugh. Finally, a prayer, gun salute, and taps.

Over the years I have have watched Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, other youth and veterans help each other countless times, raising the flag being a shared experience that transcends generations. It's a moving scene, not to be missed. This year, I watched a veteran of perhaps Korean War vintage and a girl scout raising a flag stumble and start to drop the flag and pole, then together catch it, making sure that the flag didn't touch the ground. He said "Whew, we were lucky that time!" She smiled and laughed, sliding the pole into place. With that flag and pole secure, they walked back to the slowly traveling pickup for another.


Dr. Bob Leonard

The King of Speed

The year was 1969. Richard Nixon was president, the Beatles were at the top of the charts with "Abbey Road," we put a man on the moon, and Mario Andretti was the king of speed. For those to young to remember, America was obsessed with speed and power. It was they heyday of Detroit muscle cars, and every young man dreamed of owning and driving a Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, a Ford Mustang, a Pontiac GTO, or a Dodge Charger, among other American made cars. And in much of the world, the race that epitomized speed was the Indianapolis 500. It was a much different time then, there was no Internet, there were only three commercial television stations, and our nation's collective attention was even more focused on major sporting events than it is now. With respect to popularity, the Indianapolis 500 was the Superbowl of it's time, everyone watched on television or listened to it on the radio. And Mario Andretti was a superstar. He remains the only driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, and the Formula One World Championship.

I was fifteen in 1969, and among my idols were John Wayne, Neil Armstrong, Bart Starr and the rest of the Green Bay Packers, and Mario Andretti. So, you can imagine what went through my mind when I had the opportunity to interview Mario Andretti when he was in Knoxville recently. Andretti was in town to help unveil a tribute sprint car in celebration of his 1969 Indy car--a sprint car that Donny Schatz eventually drove to his fourth straight victory in this year's Nationals race. My youthful fascination with Andretti was gone, but I was still intrigued by the possibility of interviewing one of the greatest drivers and athletes of all time. For a few hours after the invitation to interview him, my mind kept journeying back those 40 years, remembering what those times were like, and how much life has changed.

I arrived at the Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum for the interview about a half an hour early, and watched the fans line up for a glimpse of Andretti, hoping for a word or two, a handshake, or an autograph. He arrived, spent some time speaking with fans and the media before the tribute car was to be unveiled. The interview went well, and we spent a considerable portion of it talking about his youth in war-torn Europe. Andretti was born in 1940 in Italy as the war began, and he spent much of his youth in refugee camps. He became a U S citizen as an adult. It is a compelling personal story, and I remember that his immigrant's success story was part of the reason that he drew so much of our attention during his prime racing years.

I was leaning on the rail of the staircase to the second floor of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum when the tribute car was unveiled. I was part of a crush of media and fans that filled the lobby and staircase of the museum trying to get a glimpse of what was happening. Andretti was joined by the great drivers Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart for the unveiling, and all three made brief statements to the assembled crowd. When the car was unveiled, I watched all three drivers mill around the car, talking about it, touching it appreciatively, as media flash bulbs lit the room, and a crowd pushed their noses at the glass windows of the museum trying to get a glimpse of what was happening inside.

While Stewart and Schatz were clearly appreciative of the car, Andretti was different. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. He circled it with fascination, an admiring smile on his face. He touched it tenderly, respectfully, his gaze on it as if he were admiring a great work of art, or a beautiful woman. The other drivers walked away from the car to take seats to address questions from the media while Andretti lingered a few more moments, his mind in a whole different world than the rest of us.


Dr. Bob Leonard

The Marion County Fair

The kids and I went to the Marion County Fair over the weekend. Having lived outside of the state for many years, I have a special appreciation for our county fair, as well as for the Iowa State Fair. When I lived in New Mexico, I attended the New Mexico State Fair every year. I remember teasing my wife Annie (a native New Mexican) that the “New Mexico State Fair would rattle around inside the Iowa State Fair like a BB in a rain barrel.” And it’s true. It 's also true that while the New Mexico State Fair is larger than the Marion County Fair, the Marion County Fair has more representatives of every farm animal except perhaps horses.

We wandered the fair entries and admired the handiwork of our fellow residents who chose to share their creativity with us. The animals caught the kids attention as they marveled at the size of the horses and cattle and the playfulness of the goats. The bent over cages and spoke gently to rabbits, and laughed out loud at a rooster they decided to call "Elvis" because of his hairdo.

Of course they rode some rides, and played some games on what I presume is called the midway--I don't know what else to call it, but I thought it a fine midway for a county fair. I was pleased to see some old fashioned games--tossing dimes in dishes brought back some memories, but what really caught my attention was the game where one tosses darts at balloons in an attempt to win a stuffed animal. An old man with a soft voice took my couple of bucks and handed the kids darts. They threw, threw again, and again, as the man continued to hand them darts as the kids continued to fail to pop a balloon. Finally, my son popped a bright blue one, and the man handed him the biggest stuffed animal on display, saying "Congratulations! You win the grand prize!"

My daughter continued to toss darts, to no avail. Finally the man said, "Want me to pop one for you hon?" She nodded, and the man popped a big yellow balloon in the middle of the board, smiled, and asked her to take her pick of stuffed animals. I don't remember which stuffed animal she chose, but I do remember the smile on the man's face as the kids gleefully waved goodbye as we walked away, stuffed animal treasures under their arms.


Dr. Bob Leonard

Bicycles

In Pella yesterday an eight year old girl pedaled her bike out onto a street in front of an oncoming car at the intersection of Woodlawn and Hazel. I arrived at the scene shortly after the ambulance, and saw a few people gathered around the front of a gray SUV. The ambulance was parked to the side, and I could see a Pella Police car blocking the street, prohibiting traffic from passing through. Pella PD officer Paul Haase was moving about the accident scene calmly taking notes and photographs. I parked a block or so away, and walked a bit closer, but not too close. Those gathered looked concerned, yet calm, and I felt a bit of relief, hoping that the injuries to the child were not serious. Ambulance personnel were working quickly, but I detected no urgency. Occasionally I caught a glimpse of a small blond head, and saw it nod once. Everything is going to be OK, I thought. The girl was loaded into the ambulance, it drove off slowly up the hill to Pella Regional, and the crowd dispersed. A purple child's bike lay up off of the curb, a helmet close by.

The scene was now quiet, and Officer Haase was sitting in his squad car filling out paperwork, so I walked up to talk.

"She going to be OK?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied, looking relieved. "Maybe broken arm, that's it. She was wearing a helmet. Could've been lots worse."

I noticed that he had smiled and nodded when he said "helmet."

"Eight years old," he added.

"Any charges?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "She just pulled out and rode right in front of them--nothing they could've done."

I thanked Officer Haase and walked back to my truck, and pulled away slowly. I turned around and drove back to our studio on the Molengracht a few blocks away, but one thing in my world had now changed. It seemed that everywhere I looked, were kids on bicycles. I had never noticed it before, but Pella is a city full of kids on bicycles. Kids of all sizes and shapes, on bicycles in a rainbow of hues. Swooping in and out, up and down, on side streets, main streets, sidewalks and parks. Bicycles everywhere, and I had never seen it.

Until yesterday.

A Phone Call from Paul

State Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley (R Chariton) called this morning. Paul is Senator for District 36, which includes Marion County. I was working in our Pella studio, and when my cell phone rang and I saw the name “Paul McKinley” flash on the screen, I knew why he was calling. He called to announce that he is “aggressively exploring a run for Governor.” I have heard rumors that Paul might be thinking about running for months, and when he stopped by our Knoxville studios a couple of weeks ago for an interview I asked him about the possibility of a run, and he told me (and eventually our listeners) that he was undecided, but “keeping all options open.” As Paul was leaving the studio that day, I requested that if he hadn’t made any promises to other media outlets to please call KNIA KRLS first if he decided to run. He smiled and nodded at the time, and I’m pleased to report that the Senator remembered that promise when he called this morning—and that he reminded me of it.

Regular listeners know that both Paul and Representative Jim Van Engelenhoven (R-Pella) join our Knoxville and Pella News Directors in weekly Let’s Talk Pella and Let’s Talk Knoxville news programs when the legislature is in session.

So it’s official. Paul McKinley has taken the official first step in a run for Governor. Based upon our conversation, it’s clear that he has put much thought in his decision, and he brings lots to the table entering the race—his background in manufacturing, business, knowledge of agriculture and education, among other issues. He also knows Marion County and Iowa well.

Of course his likely opponents in the Republican primary also have much to offer to many potential constituents—both those candidates who have declared, and likely some who have not. Today Paul joined Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, state Rep. Christopher Rants also of Sioux City and Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong in announcing that they will be or have filed papers. And then there is the likely Democratic nominee, Governor Chet Culver. As all Iowans know, it is difficult to defeat a sitting Governor. Regardless, it should be an exciting primary and subsequent general election.

Party politics aside, I believe that the election is going to be particularly interesting for everyone in Marion County simply because we have a local “horse” in the race. Of course, we at KNIA KRLS will not favor one candidate or party over another. I have already extended interview invitations to two of the other three likely Republican candidates (the last invitation will be extended as soon as I finish writing this), as well as Governor Culver. I hope for the news staff at KNIA KRLS to be able to interview all candidates on our Let’s Talk and In Depth programs—hopefully more than once—so we can help our listeners have the information they need to cast a responsible vote for the candidate that they feel will best represent the people of the state of Iowa.

The power of small market radio will likely make a big difference in this race, and I hope that all of the candidates recognize this. If I remember correctly, I interviewed a total of nine presidential candidates during last year’s election. Only the campaigns of two candidates declined the interview opportunity I offered them—now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Senator John McCain. A staffer on McCain’s campaign told me that Senator McClain “didn’t do small market radio.”

I interviewed President Barack Obama twice.

Dr. Bob Leonard


Photo: Paul McKinley at the Bussey Fourth of July Parade, 2009

Proud to be an Iowan: The 2009 Iowa Studies Conference

Did you know that all of Marion County lies on a geological feature called the Southern Iowa Drift Plain? It was shaped fundamentally by glacial deposits left over 500,000 years ago. Our hilltops are what remains of those deposits, and our valleys are the product of erosion. Some of that erosion comes from the melting waters of the subsequent glacial advance of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet, which came as far south as Des Moines about 14,000 years ago. In your imagination, take our highest hills, add a few feet of windblown sediment on top, and then fill in all of our valleys with earth. The flat plain that results is what the geological landscape of Marion County looked like several hundred thousand years ago, long before people arrived.

Friday I went to the 2009 Iowa Studies Conference at DMACC in Ankeny. Carolyn Formanek, Tom Schmeh (co-chairs of the Knoxville Historic Preservation Commission) and I joined over three hundred Iowans who had gathered to learn about and share their knowledge of Iowa (Tom was also a presenter. With Larry Ball, Jr. he presented a history of the Des Moines Speedway 1915-1916). The lesson I learned about the geological features of Marion County came from a presentation made by Ankeny High Social Studies teacher Taylor Anderson. A dynamic speaker, he presented aspects of his high school course called "Why Iowa?" Topics his class address include Iowa geography, Native Americans, explorers, settlers, the growth of cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, tourism, and the contributions Iowa and Iowans have made to the world.

Anderson brought sample materials to demonstrate student work, and Marion residents will be pleased to learn that Knoxville and Pella are seen as important Iowa places by Ankeny students, with mentions of the Knoxville Raceway, Elk Rock State Park, Slideways Karting Center, the Royal Amsterdam Hotel, Tulip Time, the Scholte House, Wild Rose Pastures and the Pella Opera House.

Taylor Anderson is proud to be an Iowan, believes that we as Iowans have lots to be proud of, and that we need to share this with the children of Iowa so they see home as a good place to stay and make contributions to when they become adults.

There were dozens of papers presented at the conference, including topics on Iowa military history, ideas for educators, historical archives (including radio), President Herbert Hoover, the homicides at Villisca in 1912, Iowa's Native Americans, immigration, the Little Brown Church in the Vale, how to learn from cemeteries, the women's suffrage movement, significant poets, Frank Gotch--the great Iowa wrestler, Chiefs Keokuk and Black Hawk, the underground railroad, among many others.

One of the highlights of the conference was the keynote speech by a dear friend of mine, Zachary Michael Jack, a fourth generation Iowan whose family owns a century farm in eastern Iowa. Zachary loves Iowa, and has compiled a new book of historical and literary readings titled Iowa: The Definitive Collection, Classic and Contemporary Readings by Iowans about Iowa. It's a thick book, a heavy book, with over 500 pages that celebrate our past and who we are today. World famous sons and daughters of Iowa join those long forgotten to tell our story. I've only barely opened the book, but have been pulled in--not into a dull history book--but into a lively tale that should be told and told again.

As I write this, a fresh pot of coffee is brewing. It's early Sunday morning, and the my family is beginning to stir. It's a comfortable time, as the sun rises very slowly into a day that will pass quickly. In a moment, I will shut off the computer and settle into my chair, and open Zach's thick new book on my lap, settle in, take a sip of coffee, and read. To learn more about us.

That moment is now.

Dr. Bob Leonard