Sports

Cubs advance in Dyersville tourney

Published by admin on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 9:25am

   The schedule started to ramp up recently for Monticello’s semi-pro baseball team, and so did the Cubs.

   The team concluded a recent four-game, seven-day stretch with two wins in a row, including a convincing 16-4 romp over Pleasant Grove in the first round of the Dyersville tournament Aug. 3.

   The Cubs were scheduled to play a quarterfinal game in the tournament against host Dyersville Aug. 7, after this newspaper went to press.

Volleyball camp

Published by admin on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 9:17am

COLUMN: Doing Vegas our way

Published by admin on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 9:15am

   Some notes, clips, quips and commentaries from the three-night trip my wife and I took to Las Vegas last week:

   • Of course it was hot, and yes, the cliché of a “dry heat” certainly applies in Vegas. All other things being equal, I would still take a 100-degree day there over a 90-degree day here.

   • There are hundreds of ways to “do Vegas.” D says, and I agree, that this trip “was us.”

COLUMN: Praying mantids in your neighborhood

Published by admin on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 9:13am

   Have you had a close encounter with a praying mantid in your backyard?

   No, I’m not talking about a crazy neighbor or a dangerous pet on the loose – just a really cool insect! This is the time of the year when I begin receiving calls and emails about these strange looking green stick bugs with wicked front legs and large all-seeing jet-black eyes. That’s a great description of nymph praying mantids.

Bob was more than just a father-in-law

Published by admin on Tue, 08/08/2023 - 11:19am

   As I dipped into my office to write this tribute to my late father-in-law, Bob Goodyear, I thought for a minute, maybe I should close my door. But if anyone decides to come in to see me, they’ll understand if there are a few tears trickling down my face.

   Bob has worn many hats when it has come to our relationship. His first hat would have been my girlfriend’s father. I can still remember a little bit about that first encounter, 30-some years ago.

Sperfslage to continue tradition as queen candidate

Published by admin on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:14am

   There were at least two reasons Nora Sperfslage accepted the offer from the Monticello Cubs to be their candidate for the Dyersville Commercial Club Semi-Pro Baseball Tournament Queen Pageant.

   The first was tradition.

   “The person running it (Garett Hanken) knows I’ve had cousins that were candidates in the past,” Sperfslage said. “So he reached out to my dad (Ryan) and asked, ‘Hey, is your daughter interested in doing this?’ ”

   Her response?

Dyersville pulls away from Cubs

Published by admin on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:13am

   Monticello battled the Dyersville Whitehawks to a near standoff through 3½ innings of its July 26 semi-pro basketball game in Dyersville.

   The Cubs trailed just 3-2 at that point. But Dyersville rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, on the way to a 10-5 Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League win. The Whitehawks extended the lead to 10-3 before the Cubs scored twice in the top of the seventh.

It will be different

Published by admin on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:11am

   I was doing great.

   Two years ago, about this time of year, we were getting ready to take our older son, Levi to the University of Northern Iowa for his freshman year of college.

   I am a notorious weeper, but in the early morning hours of that day, sitting by myself reading the paper, I felt good, even confident.

   All it took was for Levi to walk into the kitchen. Instantly, I started to fall apart. It wasn’t Field-of-Dreams bad (“Dad? Wanna have a catch?”), but it wasn’t pretty.

Hall wins city tournament in Anamosa

Published by admin on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:10am

   Dustin Hall wanted to play in competitive golf tournaments more often. So he recently joined another club, adding Fawn Creek Country Club in Anamosa to his membership at the Monticello Golf Club.

   It turns out he is just as competitive in Anamosa as he has always been in Monti.

   Hall shot an 8-under par 67-63–130 to win the Anamosa City Golf Tournament by five shots. The event was played July 22-23 at both Fawn Creek and the Wapsipinicon Country Club in Anamosa.

Running on fumes but had a blast

Published by admin on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:09am

RAGBRAI, along with my wife and daughter, Allison. We had been planning this adventure for a few months which gave us plenty of time to get in many training rides this spring and summer. By the time I was done I put in 200+ miles in my basement on my trainer during the winter months and just over 500 this spring/summer.

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