SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 25, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/29/14
In this edition:
*Do You Know These Folks?
*Congratulations Supervisor Etheredge!
*Supervisor Demographics
*Juvenile Record Sealing Day
*Did You Know?
*Do You Know These Folks?
Patrick Hughes, Joe Johnston, Carol Thompson, Dennis Ryan, David
Osterberg, and Pat Cancilla. Each of these people is a remarkable individual.
If you are a Democrat, you owe each a debt of gratitude.
These folks are the Johnson County Democratic Party Hall of Fame
inductees for 2014. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable
group!
The
Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its Annual Hall of Fame Awards on
Saturday, May 17 at 7pm at the Coralville Marriott.
Please
join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be
available. Parking is available for a small fee on either end of the building.
Tickets
are available for a $25 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that
amount should still feel welcome, but please call 354-7199 so we can get a
count.
Sponsorships
are available at the following levels: $100 includes two tickets; $250 includes
4 tickets; $500 includes 8 tickets.
Checks
can be mailed to: Johnson County Democrats, PO Box 1773, Iowa City, IA 52244
*Congratulations Supervisor Etheredge!
A
big congrats to Supervisor John Etheredge and his wife Debbie on the birth of
their son, Evan on April 17. Evan was 20.5 inches long, 7 pounds, 12 ounces,
and came into this world with a full head of hair. This is their first child,
and it sounds as though the whole family is doing great.
Congratulations,
Etheredge family! I am so very happy for you!
*Supervisor Demographics
The
birth of young Evan Etheredge got me thinking about Supervisor demographics. Go
to a statewide Supervisors meeting some time – you will not see many folks
under 60. As a matter of fact, I recall seeing that the average age of a
Supervisor in Iowa was over 65. I’ve looked for that statistic, and I cannot
find it anywhere, so don’t take it to the bank. But we can agree – state wide,
the job of Supervisor tends to be filled by older people.
The
routine in most counties is a farmer hands over the day-to-day operations to
his son, then looks around, realizes he has some free time, and runs for
Supervisor. That puts them in the 60ish range. Then they serve 3-4 terms.
Johnson
County has always elected younger Supervisors than our peer counties, but few
extremely young people have won election. That is why a Supervisor becoming a first
time father while in office is such a rare thing.
I
was 38 when I was elected; my youngest child was 6 at the time. Several
Supervisors have had high school-aged children when they were elected; not many
had kindergartners!
Supervisor
Neuzil was the youngest Supervisor in Iowa when he was elected at 30 in 2000.
There have been a few 20-somethings elected since, including Ben Rodgers in
Linn County and our own Supervisor Etheredge. But these cases are still the
exception rather than the rule.
And
in some ways, that makes sense. It is hard to have a full resume and a wealth
of experiences yet only be 30 years old. It is fair to question just how much
wisdom a 30 year old can bring to any decision-making process. Obviously
previous generations felt so strongly about this that they created minimum ages
for the offices of US Senate and US President.
On
the other hand, I hate the fact that our elected officials so rarely reflect
the people they represent. We need more women, minorities, and yes – young
people – in elective office.
Of
course, the MOST underrepresented group has been and will always be the poor.
I’d love to someday see a Board of Supervisors that consisted of four or more
poor people. Don’t hold your breath!
*Juvenile Record Sealing Day
This
has already taken place, but I thought you might be interested all the same.
Johnson
County, Iowa - On Friday, April 25, the Johnson County Youth Development Policy
Board will host the First Annual Juvenile Records Sealing Day at the Johnson
County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Members of the community may be
eligible to have their juvenile delinquency records sealed if they are 18 years
of age or older, two years have passed since having court or informal
supervision involvement, and the individual has had no other serious
convictions. Records can only be sealed in the county where the charges
originated; therefore only charges from Johnson County will be considered for
sealing.
In
addition to hosting the Sealing Day, the Juvenile Justice Youth Development
Policy Board hopes to raise awareness of the public nature of juvenile
delinquency records in Iowa. In the vast majority of states in the United
States, juvenile delinquency court and law enforcement records for minor
offenses are confidential and not public record. In Iowa, these records are
public documents.
Increasingly
potential employers, colleges, and landlords conduct background checks on
applicants, and even a minor offense committed as a juvenile can remove an
individual from consideration. Lynette Jacoby, Johnson County Social Services
Coordinator, says that most people don’t understand the lack of confidentiality
laws surrounding juvenile records.
“Many
young adults who are eligible to have their records sealed don’t do so,” Jacoby
said. “They may think their juvenile record is confidential or will not impact
them in the future. They may not understand the sealing process and believe
their record will automatically disappear.
“We
want to see all young people lead successful and productive lives. It is
unfortunate when minor offenses that occurred during the formative adolescent
years have future negative implications for people. Sealing juvenile records is
an important step for young adults’ futures. The Sealing Day on April 25 is an
opportunity for eligible young adults to move swiftly to have their records
sealed,” Jacoby explained.
Applications
and procedural information for sealing of juvenile records can be obtained at www.sealingday.com. To participate in Sealing Day on April 25,
applicants must submit completed applications to the Johnson County Clerk of
Court’s office, Juvenile Division, by Tuesday, April 22. Although walk-ins are
welcome the day of the event, there is no guarantee that the sealing process
will be completed on the same day. Individuals unable to attend the event may
apply at any time; however, they will need to return for a scheduled court
date.
For
more information about the Juvenile Records Sealing Day visit www.sealingday.com or contract Lynette Jacoby, Johnson County Social
Services Coordinator at ljacoby@co.johnson.ia.us,
319-356-6090.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Travis
Nez, an 18-year-old senior at Phillips High School in Price County, WI, became the
youngest elected County Supervisor in US history when he began his two-year
term on the Price County Board on Tuesday, April 17, 2012.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
If you do NOT
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If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:22 PM
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