Archive for May 2006

Dear Mr. Berko:

I have read your column for more than 20 years, and I cannot recall even one instance in which you have recommended a stock for a short-term trade. You always talk about …

Few communities have faced job losses on the scale Newton will face with the closures of Maytag Corp.’s factory and administrative offices, experts said, making the town’s future unclear.

“Nothing in recent memory seems to …

About now, you might be experiencing “goal withdrawal.” It’s that time of year when you begin to lose the momentum and drive you had on Jan. 1. Many of you have already given up the …

As its second anniversary approaches, Jordan Creek Town Center is continuing to draw attention from retailers, some of which are new not only to Greater Des Moines but also to Iowa.

The shopping center’s management …

The flowers and balloons festooning the reception desk in the lobby of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines building last week weren’t there because of anyone’s new baby or a birthday. They were …

Some people keep their cell phone glued to their ear while traveling on business. Others listen to books on tape. Mike Abrams, on the other hand, likes to figure out how to complicate the lives …

You can see two opposite trends at work in Central Iowa these days. We’re trying to get more people to live downtown within walking distance of their workplaces, and at the same time we’re building …

In the heart of the city’s western gateway, the Des Moines Public Library’s new central branch is surrounded by businesses large and small. As a result, the library has added resources and meeting spaces that …

Self-disclosure: I’m writing this column late at night, in my home, where I’m drinking a beer from an Old Depot Restaurant and Pub stein. It’s a good, full-bodied beer, but I’ve had better. The ale …

I was given an assignment in high school that seemed odd at the time, but nonetheless I completed it and quickly forgot about it, as most teens do. Then one day five years later, I …