june 2012 active living

Robert “buster” Selhaver, 71, works on rigRobert “buster” Selhaver, 71, works on rig--

ging up ropes in a tree he’s working on cutging up ropes in a tree he’s working on cut--

ting down for Thomas brothers Professionting down for Thomas brothers Profession--

al Tree care. Selhaver is equally at homeal Tree care. Selhaver is equally at home

working 80 feet in the air as he is on theworking 80 feet in the air as he is on the

ground.ground.

STillclimbing

June 2012

Thursday, June 14, 2012

www.messengernews.net

www.freemanjournal.net


page 2

At age 71, Selhaver keeps on choppingStory and photos By HANS MADSEN

Five decades of trimming

Robert “Buster” Selhaver hasbeen going up trees for a longtime to trim their limbs or cutthem down branch by branch.

Most people would have quit orretired years ago.

Buster keeps going.

He’s 71.

“I’ve been doing this since Iwas 19,” he said.

Actually, he did retire once, in2009 but it didn’t suit him.

“I don’t like to sit at homewatching soap operas,” he said.

Currently employed by ThomasBrothers Professional Tree Careof Fort Dodge, Selhaver climbs,works from a bucket truck or theground.

“You have to know what you’redoing,” he said as he looks over atree with a lifetime of practicedeye.

That includes knowing where tostep - or not.

“You always check your spot,”he said, “You want to make darnsure it will hold you.”

Robert “Buster” Selhaver, 71, reaches out with a pole to get a rope around alimb before cutting it down. The rope is used to lower the branch safety.


He has no trouble keeping up.

“I keep fit,” he said, “I’m not on oxygen orpills.”

He has no fear of heights, he works as high astrees grow, sometimes well over 80 feet.

In all the time he’s been working above theground, he said he’s only fallen once. A short one.

“I was distracted by my recent marriage,” hesaid.

Julie Stricker, who works with Selhaver, isamazed every time she watches him - and a littlenervous.

“It’s kind of nerve racking,” she said, “It’samazing every time though.”

She said he’s not only fast, he’s also an asset.

“He literally will go out on a limb,” she said.

Maurice Thomas, who owns the company, isstill amazed at how Selhaver can size up a tree ina few minutes, plan the proper safe attack and thengo to work.

“He can look at a tree and in five minutes heknows what to do,” Thomas said, “He’s fast andhe’s in shape.”

Thomas said that having Selhaver climb into thecrown of a tree and work on it from there is fasterthan using a bucket on a lift truck.

“I’ve timed him,” he said.

He’s grateful for experience, he said that Sel-haver is able to plan exactly where the limbs willdrop - something that’s important when workingnot to damage a clients property.

“If there was a hall of fame for climbing,”Thomas said, “He’d be in it.”

While Thomas would like to see Selhaver teachhis skills, those with a fear of heights should notapply.

Selhaverreaches outwith a pole toget a ropearound a limbbefore cut-ting it down.The rope isused to lowerthe branchsafety.


page 4

Joe Laufersweiler

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307 S. 12th Street • Fort Dodge, Iowa • 515-576-3156 www.laufersweilerfuneralhome.com

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328 South 25th Street Fort Dodge

515-955-2985 800-427-1030 Also with offices in

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Call to schedule a FREE, no-obligation hearing exam today!

“They just freeze when they get upthere,” Selhaver said.

Selhaver has not plans to slowdown, retire or hang up his chainsaw.

“They’ll probably have to come upand get me,” he said, “I’ll probablydie up there.”

Selhaver has some simple advicefor anyone about to collect their goldwatch and retire.

“When you retire,” he said, “Don’tsit and do nothing or you aren’t goingto be here long.”

Selhaver gets ready to climb atree to work on trimming it.He uses the ropes to tie him-self to the tree for safety andalso to lower cutoff limbs tothe ground.

CONVERSATIONS WITH A CHILD D.D. Reis

Physicians Office Bldg. W., Suite. C, FORT DODGE

To schedule your

appointment call

576-7278 or 800-779-8534

AUDIO

-GRAM

S D.

.Reis

For the tens of millions of people in the United States with hearing loss, not understanding the voices of children is one of the chief complaints. That’s probably because high frequency hearing loss is very common. Besides having voices that tend to be higher in pitch, many children don’t have as much volume or project as well as grownups, except perhaps when they are particularly excited.

Having had the opportunity to follow my grandson’s language development, as he moved from vowels to syllables to words, and then, almost overnight, to speaking sentences, it seems to me that hearing loss for grandparents would be particularly tragic. Kids do say the darnedest things, and to have a conversation with a child is one of the greatest joys in life.

We encourage you to take advantage of our Free Baseline Hearing Tests during the month of May. Even if you are not yet experiencing hearing loss, it is important to know how you are hearing now, because there’s a good chance it could change in the future.


Are you going to be eligible forMedicare in the near future?Have you been on Medicare for awhile and want to better under-stand what if offers? Do you havea family member you help withMedicare issues? “Welcome toMedicare” is for you!

The Senior Health Insurance In-formation Program (SHIIP) atTrinity Regional Medical Centeris pleased to offer a “Welcome toMedicare” seminar on Thursday,June 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. This

two hour seminar will be held inthe atrium tower at TRMC inconference room 2a/b. Registra-tion is required. Please register bycalling 574-6335.

We’re excited to offer this freeseminar to the community.Medicare is such an importantprogram and understanding whatit offers helps assure that anyoneeligible gets the health benefitsthey deserve.

“Welcome to Medicare” willcover Medicare Part A and B

benefits, the prescription drugbenefit (Part D), Medicare Ad-vantage plans and Medicare sup-plement insurance. You will alsolearn about the preventive carebenefits you are entitled to as aMedicare beneficiary.

SHIIP is sponsored by TRMC.Trinity’s SHIIP counselors aretrained by the state and do notsell or promote any insurancecompanies, policies or agents.

Trinity says ‘Welcome to Medicare’

Shelley KoppSHIIP coordinatorTrinity Regional Medical Center802 Kenyon RoadFort Dodge, Iowa50501574-6513

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HOME CARE SERVICE

LIVING SERVICES

LIVING SERVICES

JuneThursday — 14

500, 9:30 a.m., WebsterCity Senior Center.

n

Webster County Museum,Otho, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

n

Webster County Genealogi-cal Society, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

For t Dodge Public Library,424 Central Ave., Room 134

n

Blood pressure check, 11a.m. to noon, RSVP, Webster

City. n

Bingo, 1 to 3 p.m., CitizensCentral.

n

SHIIP counselors, by ap-pointment, Van Diest Medical

Center. n

Hamilton County PHS footclinic.

Friday — 15Bingo, 10 a.m., Algona Sen-

ior Center.n

Rabiner Bingo early birds6:30 p.m., regular sessions

7:15 p.m., 2253 Second Ave.N. n

Cards, 7 p.m., EmmetsburgSenior Center.

Saturday — 16Boone River Valley Wood-

carvers, 9 a.m. to noon, RSVPbuilding, Webster City.

n


n


7:15 p.m., 2253 Second Ave.N.

Sunday — 17

Monday — 18Cribbage, 9:30 a.m.,

Crestview Senior LivingApartments.

n

Bingo, 10 a.m., Algona Sen-ior Center.

n

Penny bingo, 1 p.m.,Crestview Senior Living

Apartments. n

Bingo, Eagle Grove SeniorCitizen Center, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday — 19Webster City Diamond K

Kiwanis, 8:30 a.m. breakfast, 9a.m. meet.

n

River Valley Woodcarvers, 9a.m., Citizens Central.

n



n


n

Senior Bowl, 1 p.m., Web-ster City Bowl.

n

Bridge, 1 p.m., Webster CitySenior Center.

Wednesday — 20RSVP Workday, 9 a.m. Sen-ior Center, Webster City.

n

Golden K Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m.,Citizens Central.

n



n

500 cards, 1 p.m., AlgonaSenior Center.

n

Senior Citizens 500, 1 p.m.,Webster City.

Thursday — 21500, 9:30 a.m., Webster

City Senior Center. n


n



n


City. n


n


Center. n

Hamilton County PHS footclinic.

Friday — 22

Bingo, 10 a.m., AlgonaSenior Center.

n

Community Bingo, 2p.m., For t Dodge Rehabil-

itation and Health Care(formerly Careage of For t

Dodge).n




Saturday — 23


nRabiner Bingo early birds6:30 p.m., regular sessions


Sunday — 24



n


n

500, 1 p.m., Crestview Sen-ior Living Apartments.

n




n


n

WebsterCounty Genealog-ical Society, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,


n


n


n



n


n



n

500 cards, 1 p.m., Algona

Sen-ior Cen-

ter.n





n



n


City. n


n


Center.


ior Center.n

Community Bingo, 2 p.m.,Careage of For t Dodge.

n


7:15 p.m., 2253 SecondAve. N.

n

Cards, 7 p.m., Emmets-burg Senior Center.

Saturday — 30Webster County Museum,Otho, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

n



July

Sunday — 1



n


n

Penny bingo, 1 p.m.,Crestview Senior Living

Apartments. n




n


n

Webster County GenealogicalSociety, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,


n


n


n



n


n



n


n





n



n


City. n


n


Center.


ior Center.n




Saturday — 7Webster County Museum,

Otho, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.n

Senior potluck, noon, Webster City Senior

Centern



Sunday — 8Potluck, 12:30 p.m., EagleGrove Senior Center



n


n

500, 1 p.m., Crestview Sen-ior Living Apartments.

n




n


n

Webster County GenealogicalSociety, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,For t Dodge Public Library,

424 Central Ave., Room 134n


n


n



n


n



n


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page 9

118 South 25th Street Fort Dodge, IA

(across from the mall) Mon.-Fri. 9-5:30 • Sat. 9-1

515-955-8500 or 800-383-8500 Seat Lift Chairs

Starting at $ 692 00


page 8

CalendarJune

My husband and Iare divorcing, andour kids are grownup and out of thehouse. Should I con-sider long-term careinsurance? Whatare the pros andcons? Mary fromMilwaukee, age 52

Long-Term Care in-surance helps coverthe cost of long-termhealth care and gener-ally can help pay forcare not covered bymost health insuranceor Medicare.

The benefits are thatlong-term care insur-ance covers homecare, assisted living,adult daycare, respitecare, hospice care,nursing homes, andAlzheimer’s facilities.If you purchase homecare coverage, it paysfor home care, oftenfrom the first day it isneeded. A policy maypay for a visiting orlive-in caregiver,companion, house-

keeper, therapist, orprivate duty nurseup to 7 days a week,24 hours a day.

Without Long-TermCare insurance, thecost of providingthese services willvery quickly diminishone’s life savings.

Most women do nothave sufficient retire-ment funds or savingsto cover long termhealth needs. This iscompounded by thefact that women tendto live longer and maybe more in need oflong-term health care.Financially, womenhave to be consciousabout their future re-

tirement needs so thatthey can remain as in-dependent as theywish to be in their lat-er years. It is alwaysbeneficial to discussyour financial needsand projected incomewith a financial advi-sor so that you knowyou are making thebest choices for youand your family.

If you are consider-ing a policy, makesure to negotiate witha qualified Long-Term Care insurancecompany and agentwho will take into ac-count your personalneeds and what youthink you can afford.

To help save on pre-miums, look into get-ting a group rate, per-haps through a unionwith LTCi policy ben-efits, an Alumni As-sociation, or othersimilar groups. Addi-tionally, premiumspaid on a Long-TermCare insurance policymay be eligible for anincome tax deduction.

Whether or not youdecide on a Long-Term Care insurancepolicy, you absolutelymust have a plan foryour long-term careneeds. Right now I’mtouring the countrywith non-profit cam-paign 3in4 Need

More to educateAmericans on how toplan for the costs ofcare, and there aremany resources avail-able to help get youon your way. We’reeven holding a “BringYour Talent” contestfor seniors who sub-mit their videos (findout how atwww.freerentgive-away.com and thewinner will receive afree 1-year stay at anyEmeritus community.If you don’t win thefree rent, be sure totake a look atwww.3in4need-more.com for a costcalculator that can

show you the approx-imate prices of care inyour area. Remember,nearly 70 percent ofAmericans over theage of 65 will needsome form of long-term care, so do yourhomework and beprepared.

Sincerely, Dr. Marion---Dr. Marion (Marion

Somers, PhD) is the authorof “Elder Care Made Easi-er” and has over 40 years ofexperience as a geriatriccare manager, caregiver,speaker, and expert in allthings elder care. Visitwww.DrMarion.com formore information.

Ask Dr. Marion

page 10


“Even in a restaurant, now I can hear our conversations.”

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“A couple of years back during High school baseball season There was a letter tothe editor and a couple of pictures in the Des Moines Register opinion section show-ing two central Iowa high school teams standing while the National anthem wasabout to be played. The pictures were of two different games a couple of weeksapart. One of the teams, to a man stood respectfully, hats off and hands overhearts. The other team presented a more haphazard appearance. The letter com-mended one team for its patriotic stance and criticized the second by displayingthe unflattering picture.

An irate rebuttal letter appeared a few days later, saying that the person whoreprimanded the boys in a public forum should not have done so, but insteadshould have privately discussed the matter with the administration of the schoolthe boys represented.

True a picture says a thousand words. Does a picture of a bunch teenage boysstanding with hands on hearts during the national anthem mean they are good cit-izens? If they are fooling around and not paying attention does that mean theyare not? Maybe they just need a little refresher course in what our flag stands for.What do you think?

At the Super Bowl in 2011, Christina Aguilera mangled the anthem. Seems she gotthe lyrics mixed up.

“I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place,” she said. “Ican only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the truespirit of the anthem came through.”

I hope so, too. We all get distracted, mix up the words occasionallyor sing off key. We all have mumbled and moved our lips, hoping thatnobody noticed. It is a hard song to sing. Stuff happens.


page 11

Wellmark Medicare supplement insurance plans are not affiliated with any government agency. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Assocation. © Wellmark, Inc., Des Moines, IA. 23P003-2012-IA

Andy Hejlik Katie Nekvinda

130 N 25th St., Fort Dodge, IA 50501 www.khisolutions.com

515-576-1800 800-657-8033

We can make understanding your Medicare Supplement options easier. Call us today about new plans from The Blues ® .

Brenda Lastine

Call today: 515-576-6755

927 Central Ave Fort Dodge, IA 50501

NEWS FLASH... Willy Says Utilities Are Included At The Wahkonsa Apartments!

Sixty &then Some

mary Feldmanis a freelance writer

living in emmetsburg

Oh, say can you sing?

See FELDMAN, Page 15


page 12

A while back I was also reading amagazine and I came across an ad-vertisement for a medication. You’veall seen these—the first page alwayshas something catchy to get you in-terested in the drug—then the nexttwo pages are full of tiny print tellingyou who should take it, what mighthappen if you do, and how to re-spond in the case of a side effect. Iimagine that inventing a drug mustbe like a puzzle. One thing works …but add this and it works a differentway … even though it works for theoriginal problem … be careful of theside effects! So I decided that I’d de-fine the “small print” for FosterGrandparents.

What are Foster Grandparents?They are adults who are role models,friends, tutors, mentors, who want tohelp children succeed in school andin life.

Who should NOT be a FosterGrandparent? People who are unableto smile should avoid becoming aFoster Grandparent, because the say-ing is true, “kids DO say the darndestthings!”

People with inflexible personali-ties should not become a FosterGrandparent. You have to be able toaccept that things are not always go-ing to work the way they planned.AND—school is much differentfrom the days when you were a stu-dent.

People who don’t enjoy childrenshould avoid becoming a FosterGrandparent. I know this seems ob-

vious, but you’d be surprised by thepeople who come to us and admitthat they really don’t like kids thatmuch, but they thought this would bean easy way to earn a little extramoney.

What are the possible side effectsof becoming a Foster Grandparent?

- It’s addictive.- Extreme daily exhaustion.- Germs. We even warn our new

trainees of this when they start.You’d be surprised at how manypeople get sick in the first couple ofmonths of being a Foster Grandpar-ent just because they are exposed toso many childhood germs that theyhaven’t been exposed to in years!

- Loss of Hearing. Not a physicalloss of hearing—but simply a newability to tune out classroom discus-sion, distraction, etc. in order to con-centrate on the spelling words, mathfacts, or other work being done bythe child that you are working with atthe time.

- Aching backs, knees, hips. Ohthey’d ache anyway, but have youever noticed just how low to theground the chairs are in a kinder-garten classroom?

What are the most common bene-fits of becoming a Foster Grandpar-ent?

- Hugs and High Fives- Feeling needed- Friendships- Seeing the children progress and

succeed- Having a fourth grader still come

to you for a hug when they see you inthe hallway.

- Being considered a valuablemember of the staff at your school.Teachers—please don’t ever under-estimate what your acceptance, pa-tience, and friendships mean to yourGrandparents. They see you morethan they see their own family mem-bers—and some of them even likeyou better than some of their familymembers.

Other Social Interactions may in-clude:

- Being a foster grandparent mightaffect friendships with people whoare not foster grandparents—afterall—you’re not available to go forcoffee in the mornings—you’ve putin a half day by the time that thePrice Is Right comes on at 10!

Being a foster grandparent meansthat others:

- Notice when you’re not there, - Notice when you don’t feel well, - Notice when you get a little

grumpy, and - Notice when you just might need

some chocolate.Suddenly stopping being a Foster

Grandparent can be dangerous! -It can lead to boring days at home

with only talk shows and The Young& The Restless to keep you busy.

- Severe withdraw from a lack ofhearing giggling in the hallways cancause depression.

- Eating lunch alone at home in-stead of with a little lunch buddy or afellow grandparent is hazardous to

your digestion and nutrition.- Weekends are not something to

look forward to—instead they arejust another day—and you don’teven have The Young & The Restlessto watch. It’s just another day in thelife of “The Tired & The Retired!”

But like the puzzle that is piecedtogether to make many helpful med-ications, the Foster Grandparent puz-zle is just as important. There needsto be a piece that is patient. A piecethat is good at wiping noses is impor-tant, so is the one for zipping zippersand tying shoes. There needs to be apiece that is able to check homeworkand practice math facts. A piece thatis able to read the very same booksyear after year—because eventhough you know them by heart—the students are new each year. Thereneeds to be a piece that can stay calmin an unexpected events—even if itis just a fire drill. It’s also importantto have a piece that is reliable and re-spectable. It is for that reason thatour volunteers must pass a back-ground check that includes FBI fin-gerprinting.

In August we will begin theprocess of training new FosterGrandparents. If you feel that youare able to meet the requirements andlive up to the life of a Foster Grand-parent, I’d encourage you to call ouroffice. We’d be happy to set up ameeting with you.

of yourself

GivingJeanine Nemitz, Coordinator

Fort Dodge 55+ Volunteer Initiatives

The Foster Grandparent Program

617 Central Ave.

Fort Dodge, IA 50501

576-5401


A unique benefit of working with seniors is

the interesting people you meet, those who

have realized the promise of a long life and

the experiences, and lessons that come with

it. On Memorial Day there are people to re-

member that served in the armed forces in

World War II with their unique experiences

from over 60 years ago, far away from Fort

Dodge and the privileges and comforts their

service has made possible today.

One of those veterans is a spirited, 90-plus

year old, Verna Watson, who was in the

Women’s Army Corps during World War II. In

May she no doubt attended a Memorial Day

program as she does every year, proudly

wearing her VFW cap and a flag pin on the

lapel of her red or navy blue blazer. Verna’s

story started out on a farm between Clarion

and Eagle Grove where she grew up. In her

late twenties, shortly after the Japanese inva-

sion of Pearl Harbor in 1941 she began her ex-

cellent adventure.

Verna applied and got a Civil Service Posi-

tion as a clerk typist which took her to Wash-

ington DC and Germantown Pennsylvania. One

Sunday off Verna and three girlfriends took

things a step further by enlisting in the

Women’s Army Corps. Things moved quickly

and ten days later they were in Daytona

Beach Florida for basic training living in a

huge tent city sleeping on cots. Her next des-

tination was Tennessee before Norfolk, Vir-

ginia to be shipped off to North Africa. They

went to Casablanca and later Algiers where

Verna celebrated her 30th birthday. One of

Verna’s most vivid memories was taking a

train to Algiers to Eisenhower’s headquarters.

There were 300 women and they arrived in a

downpour of rain and were greeted by a brass

band and General Eisenhower. Verna said her

military service was a good experience and

she enjoyed the travel, meeting people and

learning about their cultures.

Verna was one of an estimated 350,000

women who served her country in the military

during World War II. In a time when it was

conventional for women to be wives and

mothers working in the home in the town

where they were raised, Verna found herself a

Private First Class working as a clerk typist in

the Signal corps in North Africa.

Women like Verna served in many positions

in direct support of military efforts although

they were excluded from combat positions

like women serving in the military today.

World War II was the first time women were

able to enter the military following a bill

passed by Congress in 1941 presented by

Edith Nourse Rogers, a congresswoman from

Massachusetts and Oveta Culp Hobby, a busi-

nesswoman and lawyer from Texas. Women

served in traditional women’s roles including

nursing and clerical work. Women’s Memori-

al.org gives the following breakdown of the

branches/numbers of women serving; the

Army - 150,000+, Navy - 100,000, Marines -

23,000, Coast Guard - 13,000, Air Force -

1,000, Army and Navy Nurse Corps - 74,000

and more than 1,000 served as pilots with the

US Air Force WASP and Air Force Service. One

of the first training centers was located in

Fort Des Moines, Iowa. Women’s Army Corps

members served worldwide-in North Africa,

the Mediterranean, Europe, the Southwest Pa-

cific, China, India, Burma, and the Middle

East. Only the most highly qualified women

received overseas assignments and jobs as

high-speed radio operators, tele typists, cryp-

tographic code clerks, and tape cutters in ra-

dio rooms.

Verna returned to the United States to

Charleston in 1945 shortly before the war

was over. What an experience is must have

been going from Clarion to Algers in North

Africa and doing work vital to the success of

the war effort..

So here’s a salute to the military women of

World War II and their unique service to our

country in its time of need an opening new

opportunities for women. Thanks also to Ver-

na for sharing your story and the great pride

you take in being a veteran.

Women at war share storiDiane Rollins is Social Worker and Certified Dementia CarePractitioner, She can be reached at (515) 955-8919


page 14

A hobby has turned a Webster City couple’s back-yard into a mini-oasis.

Scott and Terri Bargfrede had no idea what to do

with their yard after moving into their home three yearsago.

“Everywhere we move seems to have nothing in theyard,” Terri Bargfrede said. “So we painstakingly workon them, move and have to start all over again.”

A goal of an urban forest was achieved with Terri’slove of gardening and Scott’s enjoyment of landscap-ing.

It started Labor Day weekend of 2010. The couplehad looked around at different designs and went to ahome show to get ideas.

“We started with the steps at our back door and it justevolved,” she said. “It was a much bigger undertakingthan what we have usually done.”

Soon, approximately 20 tons of limestone was

dumped in their driveway. And with 4,000 blocks ofstone, there was a lot to haul.

“We don’t have the equipment to do it,” TerriBargfrede said. “So we shoveled and wheelbarrowedmaterials more than a hundred times.”

Friend John Hawkins grew tired of watching the cou-ple wheelbarrow the limestone and brought over aKubota tractor to finish the job.

“It would have taken us a week to scoop the rest ofthe limestone,” she said.

Together, the couple leveled the limestone and laidthe pavers down.

“Well, Terri helped carry it out,” Scott Bargfrede

said.

“He’s more of the perfectionist. I’m more impa-tient,” added Terri Bargfrede.

But when it came to the design, Terri took over thoseresponsibilities.

“Scott added to it,” she said. “Like with the cooking

area. One thing flowed into another.”After the patio, the couple decided on a pond.

“We got two shovels and started digging,” TerriBargfrede said. “I’m sure our neighbors thought we

were nuts. For days, we were just digging a hole.”

There was a method to the madness. With a rainyspring, there was standing water in the middle of theirlawn. So they took the eave spouts and sump pump andran them under the pond.

“We didn’t have to add water more than twice allsummer long,” she said.

When the liner was added, their grandchildren spenta whole day playing in it, using it as a pool.

“After putting the fish, fountain and plants in, theyenjoy coming over to feed them,” she added. They areplanning to winter the fish using a rock heater to warmthe pool.

Scott Bargfrede said that the project itself is threetimes bigger than what they originally planned.

“But most of our plans usually do,” he said.

“We have spent about 75 percent of our weekendspare time working on it,” Terri Bargfrede said.

But it’s not all work. It has been a family affair, withtheir kids and grandchildren helping in the process.

“With their little sand shovels, the grandkids wouldcarry a bucket of limestone to help grandpa,” she said.

“And it’s definitely a stress reliever,” ScottBargfrede said. “I love it, but I’m an old farm boy.”

And another reason for doing the work themselves isthe money saved on such a project.

“When we lived in Fort Dodge, we built a retainingwall in our backyard in the fall of 1997,” he said. “Itwas a big project. And with the cost of block and labor,we estimated that we saved $30,000, with the cost be-ing just material.”

“We were both raised that way,” Terri Bargfredeadded. “You do things yourself to save money.”

A backyard oasisA backyard oasisWebster City couple’s hobby creates a place of tranquilityStory by

CARRIE OLSON

Scott and Terri Bargfrede, of Webster City, have turned

their yard into an oasis. They completed the landscaping

work themselves with help from their children and grand-

children.


With the exception of someone

yelling “fire” at a public event,

there is one other thing that will

get most Americans to their feet.

It is the playing of the national

anthem. What do you do? What

do you think about as you stand

at attention?

I don’t think that the above

question is often asked nor a top-

ic often written about. What

thoughts go through one’s mind

while standing at attention at a

public event in the midst of a

great crowd of people? Even in

our own homes, even if we don‘t

stand up, what do we think

about? Here are a variety of an-

swers I got when I asked the

above question.

“Probably the most emotion I

have had is at the start of high

school ball games. Some people

don’t know all the words. Some

people do not know its origins

and how it happened to be writ-

ten, but most everyone is respect-

ful” that is what I think about,

the respect of everybody”

“It doesn’t seem to matter

what I am doing, standing in pub-

lic or in private at home. Rarely

would I be thinking of what the

Anthem is about. Mostly I am

thinking of something that has to

do with my family.“

“Whenever I stand at attention

I think about how lucky I am to

be here in America. If it happens

to be a funeral for a veteran I

think about World War II.”

“When at a public event, it is

seeing all of the people standing

proudly . Sometimes I let my gaze

travel over the crowd and try to

imagine what is going through

the minds and hearts of individu-

als. Some people have tears in

their eyes.”

“At my school we sing it at 7:05

in the morning and honestly, I am

still half asleep at that time. At

school games , I think about how

lucky I am to play here and feel

completely safe.”

“My thoughts? Depends on the

occasion and how it ( the anthem)

is presented. If Rosanne Barr or

Lady GaGa is singing, it would

make me want to get it over with.

The Boston Pop or a good munici-

pal band would make me think

about the framers of the Consti-

tution and World War II. In other

words, the greatness of America.”

“As far as the music goes, one’s

emotions might be different de-

pending how it is presented. We

older folks might groan when a

pop start screws up the face and

moans all over the music to styl-

ize it, but if that is how the kids

like it, does it really matter?

“Sometimes hearing the Na-

tional Anthem is like after com-

munion when I savor the moment.

I don’t think anything but I come

away with a good feeling .”

“How proud I am to be an Amer-

ican and I say a prayer for our

freedoms and our soldiers.”

“Each person ‘s individual expe-

riences make a difference in the

thoughts that come to mind.

Maybe how we feel at a certain

time is a factor on what we think

right at that particular time.”

“Probably not the answer you

are looking for but I picture my-

self singing it when I hear it.”

“I think of the privilege of liv-

ing in a free country and that we

often take everything good here

for granted. I think about the

people I know who are serving in

the military. I wish they would

come home and protect us here in

the USA”

“I think about those living un-

der an oppressive government

standing up for their rights, but I

do not think we have any busi-

ness going into a country and try-

ing to force democracy on the

people.”

“I usually sing along, at least in

my head, so I am thinking about

the words.”

“ I think about God, my beliefs,

some sadness and much more.”

“I get teary sometimes because

of all the good things we have in

this country. I get emotional and

there are lots of feelings to sort

out.”

“ How lucky we are to live in the

U.S.A.”

“One of the most moving expe-

riences I have had with the na-

tional anthem was at the Special

Olympics in Des Moines. It was in

the early 1990s and the governor

had just welcomed the athletes.

Just as the flag was raised, I was

in the middle of our group of ath-

letes when the band began play-

ing the anthem. We know it is a

hard song to sing, yet without ex-

ception, every athlete I could see

was singing his or her heart out.

Some mixed up the words, some

did not pronounce them correctly

but just about everybody knew

the music. Nobody slouched and

nobody was distracted. Patty was

one of the participants and a stu-

dent of mine. She was right next

to me. She was enthusiastic and

even though she messed up some

of the lyrics, she knew what she

was singing and why she was

singing it. She made me glad that

America is my country.”

It is a hard song to sing. No

question about it. We may be off

key. We may get the words mixed

up. Some might like a somber,

traditional version. Some prefer

the young singers who screw up

their faces and riddle the music

with trills and groans the modern

way. No matter. We have our own

thoughts and each generation

has their own preference in music

techniques. Don’t worry about it,

just sing it

P.S. Be sure to celebrate our

country’s birthday.

God Bless America and God Bless

you

Feldman Continued from Page 11

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