I wrote about my dad a year ago. I was very the miracle-working office manager at Key- proud of him for what he had accomplished, stone Area Education Agency, she’s used to and as time passes I find I’m exponentially juggling many things at once. I imagine this more proud. You might know him, or per- curveball has given her a special challenge, haps you read about him in the TH recently. but as of this writing, she’s maintained her Most know Robert Parks now as Marine Bob, sanity and there are just a few days left in Dubuque’s Toys for Tots coordinator. Over the collection season. The whole family is three years since taking on the duties, the coming together over the weekend with retired insurance and investment broker and truck to make the finally collection rounds former Marine has taken the collection from in the Dubuque area. Many thousands of 3000 toys for local kids to over 20,000 toys toys have already come in, been sorted and serving children in four counties, having add- gone back out to agencies and volunteers ed Grant County, Jo Daviess County and Jack- helping to cover such a broad area. son County to Dubuque. Through all the adversity, The article about him in the tag-team effort con- the TH lat week was very tinues to work wonders, nice, though they painted turning thousands of dol- him as being near death. lars in cash into tens of In truth, he’s getting much thousands of dollars in better everyday. Tim, our toys while coordinating editor at 365ink, likens partners and volunteers dad to Keith Richards or across a network Marine Al Davis: “That man can- Bob has created through not be killed by conven- three states. And Mom tional weapons,” he says. even made her treasure Dad has shrugged off trove of Christmas cookies cancer twice before. The somewhere in the middle. second time was last year in-between Toys seasons Dad called today. His when a bad cold was the precursor to a very voice is raspy, but no longer just air. He early case of lung cancer. Following surgery, asked me to pick up the Toys banner from he was back at it without missing a beat. This Five Flags where they had a teddy bear toss year, his third cancer affected his neck and in conjunction with the Thunderbirds hock- came with bad timing, as if there is ever good ey game over the weekend. He’s starting to timing to find cancer. He has just finished his take in tiny bits of soft food that don’t have to chemotherapy treatments and, as many of you come in through a feeding tube, but his tem- have experienced, is very tired. He also has porarily ravaged taste buds are not making it been unable to speak. While normally, the taste very good. But he’s a marine. I’m sure family might think this a blessing, it is most he’s had bad food before. I’m quite looking inconvenient to a man organizing the efforts forward to buying him a big juicy cheese- of volunteers across four counties. How does burger as soon as he’s ready to tackle it. he still do it all. The answer? Mom. Toys for Tots is nearing the frenzied final While we’ve all found ourselves this year days. I’ll bet nothing would make Dad hap- meeting early morning semi trucks at ware- pier than if we all would make these final house docks unloading toys and books to collections ... so much exhausting work be- donated storage space by great people like cause we’ve overfilled the toy boxes spread Restoration Warehouse, Tim McNamara across the Tri-States. And if you are reading and Quick Stop, it is Mom who has become this too late, a cash donation for next year Dubuque’s Mrs. Claus. Her recent retire- will, I’m sure, help Dad get ready for next ment should have left her with time to, uh year. I have no doubt he will begin that pro- ... help out at 365. But perhaps by some un- cess sometime in January. seen grace, her free time came just in time to care for her own mother, as Alzheimer’s People often ask where we get the consis- has placed a quick grasp on her. And, as if tent energy to do all the stuff we do in the to test her malability, Dad was diagnosed community at 365. Well, now you know. once again. And the holidays were looming We had pretty good role models growing in the future. Having spent many years as up. Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. The 365ink crew... faces you already know! Tim Brechlin Mike Ironside Tanya Graves Ellen Goodmann Tim Trenkle Ralph Kluseman Joie Borland Matt Booth Joe Tower Nick Klenske L.A. Hammer Chris Wand In This Issue of 365ink... ISSUE # 19 Dec.14- 27, 2006 Hitting the Slopes: 4 Community Events: 5 - 8 Jetsetters: 8 Arts: 9-10 TV Town: 11 Live Music Focus: 12 - 15 Budweiser True Music Live Music Calendar: 16& 17 Wando’s Movie Reviews: 18 Oscar Season Ahead: 19 Mayor Roy Buol: 20 Book Reviews: 21 Mattitude: 23 Tim’s Final Bender: 24 Dear Trixie: 25 Dr. Skrap’s: 25 365 Tips for Your Home: Crossword / Sudoku: 2726 Galena: 28-29 Platteville: 30 365 News: 31 The Inkwell Publisher: Bryce Parks ([email protected]) Editor: Tim Brechlin ([email protected]) Advertising: Joie Borland ([email protected]) 563-543-4274 Ralph Kluseman ([email protected]) 563-599-9436 Ad Design: Tanya Graves ([email protected]) Photography: Joey Wallis, Ron TIgges, Mike Ironside, Bryce Parks Writers & Content: Mike Ironside, Tim Brechlin, Ellen Goodmann, Joe Tower Bryce Parks, L.A. Hammer, Chris Wand, Gary Olsen, Mayor Roy Buol, Matt Booth, Robert Gelms, Angela Koppes,, Tim Trenkle, Nick Klenske Graphic Design & Layout: Bryce Parks, Mike Ironside, Tim Brechlin, Gary Olsen Distribution Coordinators: Robert Parks, Kay Kluseman. Special thank you to: Jim Heckmann, Fran Parks, Kay Kluseman, Brad Parks, Bob Johnson, Todd Locher, Dave Blake, Everett Buckardt, Julie Steffen, Sheila Castaneda, Tom Miller, Renae Gabrielson, Christy Monk, Katy Rosko, Jon Schmitz, Ron & Jennifer Tigges and all the 365 friends and advertisers for all your support. You are all 365. Dubuque365 • 210 West 1st Street, Dubuque, IA, 52001 Office Phone or Music/Events/Movie Hotline 365 @(563) 588-4365 We welcome all submission of articles& photos to the address above or by e-mail. Roy Buol Gary Olsen Robert Gelms Ron Tigges Angela Koppes Joey Wallis We’ve hidden 365’s WANDO somewhere in this issue of Dubuque365ink. Can you find the master of movies buried within these pag es? Hint: He’s tiny and could be anywhere ! Good Luck! Winners get a free warm fuzzy! - 4 DUBUQUE365ink • Don’t get eaten by the Abominable Snowman. He’s grouchy today. • DUBUQUE365.COM Now, for those of you who aren’t trying to set world re- cords for number of flips on a single jump and are instead just trying to breeze down the slopes, it’s not like Sundown is leaving you out in the cold. The entire park boasts, in total, 21 downhill trails with a 475- foot vertical drop. (In other words, really frickin’ high.) All the trails are lit, and the lifts can by Tim Brechlin -- you know, making sure that you can actually move 9,000 people an hour. And make it down those hills! And it’s German-made, there are trails set for all difficulty Let’s face it: There’s a little thrill-seeker in all of SUNDOWN SPECIAL so you know that Sundown’s going to be totally levels, with four degrees ranging us. (In some cases, there’s a big one. Not in mine, EVENTS rocking the hills this year. The PistenBully 300 from “easiest” to “most difficult.” • Every Friday - Fabulous Friday - open though. I’m a pansy.) And while we can go to Six features retractable forks that are used for moving ‘til midnight, special events Flags and ride rollercoasters ‘til the sun goes down, rails and terrain features in the terrain park ... en- And don’t worry, the kids are a • Dec. 24 - Slopes open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., or try base-jumping from the Clock Tower (not en- suring unique experiences every time you decide huge part of Sundown’s winter offer- $25 adult lift tickets ($15 youth) dorsed by 365ink, in case anyone decides to go for to wander over to that part of Sundown. ings. Every weekend and during the it), what could possibly be more thrill-seek-ey than holidays, Sundown hosts Kids Park • Dec. 26 - 30 - Holiday rates apply strapping on a few skis and roaring down a hill? Oh, what’s a terrain park, you ask? Well, it’s pret- sessions — 10 a.m. to noon, or 1 (I’d personally take an evening watching movies, ty much exactly what the name suggests ... it’s an to 3 p.m. It’s open for children ages • Jan. 5 - All Night Ski for Youth Groups, 11 p.m. - 4 a.m. $20 lift tickets, $35 lift/ but as we’ve established before, I’m a pansy. And I outdoor area that’s essentially for allowing snow- 4 -12, and the sessions are aimed lesson/ski rental. Groups of 15 or more. have no balance, even when I’m sober.) boarders and skiers to do any number of tricks. A at teaching kids how to both ski bunch of different jumps, a 300-foot competition and how to be safe while doing • Jan.