Offenburger.com

Along Our Way

KMA radio in Chuck Offenburger’s hometown of Shenandoah celebrated its 85th birthday on August 12. The station, owned by the May family for three generations now, honored its history of having big “jubilees” by putting up a big tent, broadcasting outdoors throughout the day, giving visitors free pancakes and sausages, inviting listeners to “face dive” in an 85-foot-long cake, airing lots of vintage audio clips, and doing special interviews.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS IN LARGER FORMAT, AND TO READ A BRIEF STORY, CLICK HERE.]

A conversation

LIVING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & is now doing well in a “maintenance” program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, and continues under close medical observation. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

“If the sedative makes normal people balmy, I wonder what it’s going to do to you since you have been balmy ever since I’ve known you, except for the last days of your first two marriages.”

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?

Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm

Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat!
Click here for larger format

Earlier photos in this series

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.

TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!

Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey

Head Coach Michelle Brock & her Paton-Churdan boys
are turning lots of heads in Iowa high school basketball

Officials of the Iowa High School Athletic Association say they believe Michelle Brock, 23-year-old head coach of the Paton-Churdan Rockets in west central Iowa, is the only woman coaching a high school boys basketball team this season -- and one of the few women ever to coach a boys' varsity team. The photos below show Coach Brock and her boys in action.

Coach Michelle Brock, who heads the boys' basketball program at Paton-Churdan High School in west central Iowa, is a native of Marengo in east central Iowa, and was a three-sport athlete and avid musician at Iowa Valley High School there. She graduated in music from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, and is director of vocal and instrumental music at Paton-Churdan in addition to being the boys' basketball coach.

Brock is show here in the pre-game huddle with Iowa Christian Academy Head Coach Greg Gosselink, the captains of both teams and the referees as they go over rules and hear a sportsmanship reminder.

Her House. Coach Brock (right) stands at mid-court with volunteer statistician Melinda Tilley, who is also president of the Paton-Churdan Music Boosters, as the Rockets warm-up behind them. Brock is looking to the other end of the floor, watching as the opponents, the Iowa Christian Academy Blazers, were warming up, too.

Coach Brock is the last in line to wish her starters well as they are introduced in the pre-game ceremonies.

Early in the game, Coach Brock summons Drew Campbell to the sidelines for a quick tip while a free throw is being shot on the other end of the floor.

Coach Brock takes charge in the team huddles during time outs, as this photo and the next two demonstrate.

What basketball advice is she known for? "My kids hate it, but I say 'Be intelligent' a lot," she said. "That, and I hear myself saying 'Box out!' about every other sentence."

The Paton-Churdan boys, under Coach Brock, have learned to play with a new intensity this season.

The Rockets launcher, on the bench.

Post-games always include a quick review of the statistics, in the scorebook kept during the games by Coach Brock's longtime boyfriend Phil Grant. They went to Iowa Valley High School and Buena Vista University together, and he works now in information technology at the headquarters of Casey's General Stores in Ankeny. However, "I get volunteered for a lot of things here at Paton-Churdan," Grant said. "I'm always glad to help her."