Local News

Dispatches from the Polderland - Part 3

The Great Flood

Yesterday, after three days of wandering in Amsterdam, Daryl and I made our way to the docks area adjacent to Amsterdam’s Central Train Station and found our barge, the “Feniks,” to begin our “Bike & Barge” adventure. A former small cargo ship (39 meters, or roughly 125 feet, in length), the Feniks has been retrofitted with 10 miniature two-person cabins – smaller than a cruise ship room, larger than a train sleeping berth – each with its own bathroom/shower unit. Staffed by Captain Winfred, his wife Els – a gourmet cook – and their nephew-first mate, Uri, the Feniks also has a comfortable below-decks galley area where we gather for breakfast and dinner.

Our trip leaders are Suzie and Roger Gnable from Baltimore, who have led many Bike & Barge trips throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and France. We’ve been with them on two stateside bike trips, and we knew we could count on them for a well-organized, information-packed trip that would include plenty of interesting side trips and interaction with the locals.

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Dispatches from the Polderland - Part 2

Making waves with the Admirals

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Sher Jasperse of the Metro Sports Report is taking a bicycle tour of the Netherlands. Here is her second report.)

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- A trivia question: What is the connection between Amsterdam and a now-famous Cedar Rapids prep athlete? The answer comes later in this dispatch.

Amsterdam – like most of the Netherlands – is a place that can barely hold its head above sea level. The oldest and most interesting part of the city is built on a great semi-circle of intersecting canals lined by streets full of narrow row houses, shops and churches that have stood for hundreds of years. There are 54 named canals in the city, and you can get around almost as easily by water as by land.

Yesterday, my husband and I participated in a favorite Amsterdam tourist activity when we took a canal boat ride around the city. The tours offer close-up views of the city’s historic neighborhoods and architectural treasures, with narration provided in any major language.

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Dispatches from the Polderland: Part I

Like RAGBRAI every day

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Someone reminded me recently of the words spoken by the character Gramma Mary in the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: “You should look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.”

I’ve noticed that certain things increase the sharpness of my view – like an overnight flight and that exhilarating feeling of being at the beginning of a long-planned vacation.

Last night my husband and I boarded a plane that is larger than our condo and flew 4,500 miles to Amsterdam, a place I visited long ago as a college student but am seeing as if for the first time. We’re on our way to participate in a week-long Bike and Barge trip that begins and ends in Amsterdam; in between, we’ll peddle a loop through the famous Dutch flower markets and several historic towns in the southern half of the Netherlands. After biking each day, we’ll spend our nights on a barge, which will travel along with us via canals and rivers.

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Four Metro preps tabbed for Shrine Bowl

Four Metro preps are on the rosters released for the Iowa Shrine Bowl football game that will be played July 23 at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Metro players selected to play in the game for the North Squad are Linn-Mar running back Jer Garman, Marion flanker Dusty Albaugh, Xavier defensive end Chase Kloepfer and Kennedy offensive lineman Ross Ellsworth.

Garman set 12 school records during his three years as running back for the Lions. He also broke two Mississippi Valley Conference records set by Tim Dwight. He was a three-time MVC first teamer and twice first team all state. He will play college football at North Dakota.

Albaugh was outstanding running and catching the football on offense, and a ballhawk on defense for Marion.

Kloepfer and Ellsworth both were key members of playoff qualifying teams. Both were first team all conference in the MVC. Kloepfer was first team all-state by the Des Moines Register.

Two girls from Metro schools also were selected as cheerleaders. Julia Michalec from Cedar Rapids Washington and Marion's Tori Pratt were selected.

The players are selected by a process of nomination by coaches, balloting by state-wide sports media professionals and official invitation from a representative of the Iowa Shrine Bowl.

This year's game is the 39th annual. It has raised more than $2 million for Shriners Hospitals for Children. Tickets are $10 per person in advance and $15 per person at the gate.  Tickets are available by contacting the Iowa Shrine Bowl office at P.O. Box 22160 Des Moines, Iowa  50325 or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   Children under 6 are free.