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“Solitude,” “contemplation,” “sanctuary” — the Friends of Hickory Hill Park nonprofit uses these words to describe the park it supports. Unlike many of Iowa City’s parks, at Hickory Hill you won’t find the traditional swing sets, baseball diamonds or large shelters shading rows of picnic tables. Sure, Hickory Hill is a destination for winter sledders […]
Since mid-January, much of the east side of Iowa City has actively worked to save the life of Pearl, a black lab mix who has been on the loose amidst one of the snowiest, coldest winters in recent memory. Pearl was a feral dog who was captured (with her litter of pups) and eventually adopted […]
In our pandemic lives, many of us have deepened, discovered or rediscovered our relationship with nature as a way to cope with the new restrictions on our lives. The benefits likely have been multiple: enhancing our own health, learning more about the land we live on, perhaps even sparking a stronger environmental ethic. Many of […]
Here’s a wacky idea: Our concept of a “year” is blocking our effectiveness in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. OK, bear with me. One of the most common expressions I’ve seen and heard — on social media and in real-live conversations — is that 2020 sucks. In a lot of ways that of course is true, […]
We are in a coracle with no oars or rudder, heading to an unknown fate. We are in peregrination. So that’s my topic for the return of UR Here. Rarely have I just not known what to write about for this column. Even though I was ecstatic that Little Village was coming back to print, […]
Imagine a city council meeting where a citizen walks up to the microphone during the public comment period and says, “I would like to devote my time to being silent in order for all of us gathered here to consider our individual parts in this public issue we are discussing.” Imagine a community forum where, […]
I saw the fallen larch early on the morning of Sept. 10 as I walked from the bus to my office in Jessup Hall. My eyes widened and my spirits dropped as, from a distance, I saw the tree lying flat on the ground. I audibly said, “Oh no.” Before I went to work, and before the remains of the tree would be gathered and taken away by university personnel […]
What does your place sound like? We spend enormous chunks of our lives in our homes and workplaces. More and more, we’re coming to understand the effect these frequent haunts have on our physical and mental health, our emotional states, our creativity and productivity — in short, our very well-being.
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As someone easily overwhelmed by crowds and sensory overload (and more so as I age), I can find Iowa City’s wonderful summer festivals a challenge. I have many times enjoyed the tunes, charts and riffs flowing from the stages of the Iowa City Jazz Festival. I have often parked my camp chair on the Pedestrian Mall on Friday night […]
In recent weeks and months, I seem to have been bombarded with pleas for monetary contributions, all promising a world of abundance if the scarcity in question can be resolved. Most, if not all, of these causes are worthy. We have created a human world where too many good ideas are chasing too few dollars.
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We are always embedded in the land we dwell upon. In practical terms, our physical bodies are dependent on a functioning ecosystem, so our inescapable obligation of environmental care is to our own benefit as well as that of the health, well-being and integrity of the living earth. But when we are truly home in […]
As I entered Susan Craig’s office to chat about her career with the Iowa City Public Library and her impending retirement, I encountered a familiar sight: Susan at her conference table, calmly working through a ream of budget and statistical sheets. […]
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Little Village is an independent media company based in Iowa City. In print since 2001, our mission is to create visibility for the communities, businesses and events that define our region. Support Little Village →