Category: March 2019

Trailer stolen from HABA’s new North Liberty location

Christine Hawes
hartwood theft

The theft of a trailer holding an estimated $7,000-plus of custom-designed furniture and equipment is forcing HABA Salon to delay the opening of its new North Liberty location, Hartwood Salon. “Whoever did this was probably keeping an eye on us. The trailer had been sitting there for quite a while,” said Katelyn Sexton, manager of the new Hartwood location. The trailer disappeared from Hartwood, at 565 Cameron Way, sometime between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. Monday, Sexton said. It contained a custom-designed sofa and five custom-designed salon chairs. HABA and Hartwood…

Read More

Pho real, how many Pho places do we need?

Guest Writer
pho online

Back in the early 2000s, I knew of only one place in the Corridor that served Pho: Mekong on South Riverside Drive It was my “go to” restaurant whenever I felt the slight whiff of a cold coming on. The rice noodles, flavorful broth along with the fresh garden of herbs, a splash of Sriracha and Hoisin (never soy sauce) was comfort in a bowl. Back then, few of my friends knew about the dish. Today, you can’t go far without finding Pho. I Love Pho #1, I Love Pho…

Read More

New hope for youth through spoken word, poetry

Caleb Rainey
53852532 366701214174189 8193430538447486976 n

I first met Aubrey Barnes at an open mic I produced. He performed with power and passion, starting his poem before he even got to the stage. I watched as his words, palpable and poignant, landed in people’s ears. We were captivated. Later, I learned this 27-year-old is a spoken word performer from the Quad Cities, who’s taken the stage with tenacity for the past five years; a producer of shows for local artists; founder of an after-school program; and a teacher. When I had the chance to interview Aubrey…

Read More

Live local musicians deserve our dollars

Guest Writer
king county cobras revised

When musicians perform, audience members only see the final portion of their work. That show, concert, or gig is only the end of a larger process that takes hours, days, and even years of investment and preparation. The compensation for these performances rarely matches the effort and time musicians put into their craft. This doesn’t even account for the time and energy spent booking shows, rehearsing, traveling, and setting up equipment. Typically, musicians make $50 to $75 a night. If you’re part of a band, you earn only a fraction…

Read More

Bullying victims need adults to speak up

Guest Writer
bullying

Whenever I reflect on the many moments that I felt less than my peers in school, the sinking feeling returns. The blush begins at the base of my neck. I know the embarrassment all too well. I’d often wear the baggiest clothes, like a sweatshirt and loose athletic pants, to hide the shape of my body. My mindset was, if anyone were to notice how the sides of my stomach hung over the waistband of my jeans, I’d certainly offend them. Other aspects of my physical appearance and personality also…

Read More

Intersectionality: don’t fear failure

Guest Writer
intersectionality

Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw first coined the term “intersectionality” in the late 1980s to describe the unique experiences of black women in the context of feminism. Crenshaw posited that because black women experienced both sexism and racism, these oppressive institutions are interconnected and cannot be examined separately. Since then, “intersectionality” has evolved to discuss differing intersections of all kinds of oppression and marginalization.  With the expansion of the definition, feminists and social justice advocates are challenged to widen their understanding of how the patriarchy affects marginalized people in different ways. People…

Read More

Misfits, and proud of it

Christine Hawes
35481278 1755843634509214 3761194262306226176 n

When I first sat down with a crew of the Misfits, the teen component of the IC Bruisers, I expected to hear your standard fun fare about youth enjoying group sports in a community-supported program. Instead, the most agonizing of teenage angst poured forth. Ileana Knapp (skater name Collide-a-Scope) found the support she needed as an 18-year-old to overcome thoughts of self-harm when she found the IC Bruisers and the Misfits. Alysa Cato, 18, (skater name Sneaky One) skates after being bullied in almost all other organized sports.  She felt…

Read More

Covert adult bullying takes a toll

Christine Hawes
adult bullying 1

As a so-called “strong” woman who used to be an over-developed, over-achieving, outspoken child, I’ve experienced my share of bullying. Four-Eyes, Coke Bottles, Turbo Tits, Hogs, Nerd, Dork, and Dweeb are some of the names I’ve been called. And of course Dyke, Homo, and Lesbo in hissing, whispery sorts of ways. Oh, and “hell-bound sinner” (in so many words) by my high school pastor! I’ve been punched, kicked, spat on, shoved, had little boys flip eyelids inside out to scare me, tease me about werewolves and Bigfoots and ghosts waiting…

Read More

“Bears:” a peek into the culture

Christine Hawes
rob anderson

Rob Anderson of Cedar Rapids is one of Iowa’s leaders in “bear” culture and Mr. Iowa Leather 2016. He took a few minutes to share with Christine Hawes about bear culture, in this Q&A, edited for brevity and clarity. What is “bear” culture? The easiest definition of a “Bear” is a male-identified individual bigger in size who tends to have a hairy body and likely some facial hair.  Within the community, there are various types of bears and similar animals that are used to describe people — such as “cub”…

Read More