SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 21, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 12/27/16
In this edition:
*Happy New Year!
*Salvos Salutes!
*Did You Know?
*Happy New Year!
Happy
New Year to all Salvos readers! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a wonderful
2017!
*Salvos Salutes!
2016 is coming to a close, and it is time for honoring a few
select Johnson County residents with that most treasured of honors, the Salvos
Salute. A few observations:
* This is the tenth annual set of awards, and there are always
more people who deserve awards than there are awards to give. We live in a
great County!
* The focus is on Johnson County. It is certainly worth noting the
daily heroism of someone like our firefighters, police,
and paramedics. There are
also examples that garner international attention. But we have everyday heroes
right here in Johnson County that deserve a shout out.
* There are some people out there that could win every year. I am
trying to honor different folks, but repeat winners are not out of the
question.
* Salvos Salutes do not have specific criteria, but you can bet
that in general, most of the winners are courageous, advocate for peace and
justice, have good ideas, speak truth to power, avoid hypocrisy, and look out
for the less fortunate.
Without
further adieu, your 2016 Salvos Salutes go to:
Joe Bolkcom: It is said you can judge a society by the way they treat their most
vulnerable citizens. The decision to turn Iowa Medicaid over to private Managed
Care Organizations (MCOs) will go down in history as one of the worst political
decisions in Iowa history. While his battle is decidedly uphill, Senator
Bolkcom has been a leading voice for the 1/6 Iowans who receives some type of
Medicaid service.
Jim Throgmorton: There are many reasons to want to serve as Mayor. It can be a
springboard to higher office. It can fulfill a need for attention. It can
promote personal business interests. It can serve as the capstone to a career
in public service.
Or, you could be Jim Throgmorton. The Mayor of Iowa City genuinely cares about the lives of the individual people who live in this city. Jim does not show up places looking for kudos; he shows up because he CARES. I am so proud that Jim is the Mayor of my town!
Or, you could be Jim Throgmorton. The Mayor of Iowa City genuinely cares about the lives of the individual people who live in this city. Jim does not show up places looking for kudos; he shows up because he CARES. I am so proud that Jim is the Mayor of my town!
Geoff Fruin: I don’t know if I have ever seen anything quite like it. It seemed
that EVERYONE wanted to see Geoff Fruin promoted from Assistant City Manager to
City Manager! Liberals, conservatives, old, young, Chamber, Labor… it seems
everyone wanted to hire Geoff. And I can see why! Geoff is a great guy and a
team player who seems to really get things done. I think his future and the
future of Iowa City are both bright!
Linda Fisher: Given the current state of the world/country/state, it can be easy to
get discouraged. You need a source of positive energy. That is what I get from
my friend Linda Fisher. A woman of a great many interests and talents, Linda’s
true gift is her unrelenting positive energy. I always feel better after
speaking to Linda!
Linda Herring: A modest house in Tiffin has been a home for literally scores of
foster children. When I met Linda Herring over 25 years ago, she was already 25
years into an unbelievable body of work as a foster mother. Linda routinely
accepts children with significant needs, even after all these years. I truly
cannot imagine the number of hours she has invested in the children of Johnson
County.
Terry Dahms: For government to work, citizens must get involved. In Johnson
County, no one is more involved than Terry Dahms. All year long you’ll find
Terry hard at work on any number of Boards and Commissions. From Planning and
Zoning to Bicycling and Trails, Terry quietly works his tail off to create a
better Johnson County. He has been doing this for decades - and his work is all
volunteer!
Bill Waldie: Did you read what I just wrote? The same description also fits Bill
Waldie. From the Johnson County Conservation Board to the Solon Library Board
to the Comprehensive Plan Committee, Bill is a full time volunteer. Every time we
appoint him to another group, someone comes up to me and says, “Where did you
find that guy? He’s great!” Truth is, we didn’t find Bill – he just showed up
and began offering good advice!
Mike and Chris Weinard: I have been volunteering in local political
campaigns since the late 1980s. In that whole time, I do not believe I have
EVER seen anyone work as hard over a 4 year period as Mike and Chris Weinard!
Show me someone who has knocked on more doors – you can’t do it! More
importantly, they bring passion, intelligence, and senses of humor to the tasks
at hand. I am glad they are on my side, and I’m proud to call them a Union
Brother and Sister!
Kice Brown: Lone Tree has been lucky to have Carl “Kice” Brown as a resident these
many years. In addition to his service on the City Council, Kice has done great
work with senior dining, housing, and the local cable franchise. On top of
that, Kice represents Lone Tree on all sorts of county Boards and Commissions,
and has done so for some time. And Kice does it all with his signature smile!
Patrick Wallace: Serving as President of the Iowa City Federation of Labor is a very
challenging job! Patrick Wallace not only did the job well, but he did it while
continuing to work the line at Rockwell as a member of IBEW 1634. Typically
Labor Councils have Business Reps as Presidents; it is great to see a rank and
file worker serve in this capacity. All labor activists owe Patrick a big
thanks for his service!
Jessica Peckover: It is REALLY difficult to get the majority of all
the public officials in the area to agree on anything. Jessica Peckover has
done even better – she has convinced everyone to wholeheartedly support Crisis
Intervention Training (CIT) and bring it to Johnson County. CIT will help law
enforcement officers to better serve people who are struggling with mental
health and/or substance abuse issues. While this approach makes sense, it would
not be happening without Jessica’s knowledge, passion, persistence, and just
plain hard work.
Veronica Tessler: Johnson County has a fantastic group of young
professionals on the rise. I am anxious to see what they will do when they take
charge! When that happens, I expect Veronica Tessler to be in the center of it
all. As the owner of Yotopia, Veronica has put her beliefs into action as a key
part of her work. As an activist, Veronica has organized many successful events
in Iowa City. Keep your eye on Ms. Tessler; her future is bright!
Barry Bedford: It has been a long time since Coralville was a sleepy little town,
yet residents still feel safe and secure. Much of the credit for this goes to
Police Chief Barry Bedford, who is retiring after 29 years. You see many
communities struggling with police-citizen relationships, but Barry has managed
to avoid these issues for three decades. He must be doing something right!
Congratulations on your retirement, Chief!
Marcella Hurtado: You know the old saying that Grace Kelly did everything Fred Astaire
did but backwards and in heels? That is exactly how I feel about Marcella Hurtado.
Through her work with the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ), Marcella has won
many battles for the immigrants and low-wage workers of our County. Marcella
has been as effective as any activist in Johnson County. Yet she does it all in
her second language, and with her children in tow! Enhorabuena, Marcella! Sigues impresionándome! Mantener el buen
trabajo!
Andy Johnson: This one hurts my heart, as Andy is leaving Johnson County to join
family in Omaha. If you have ever worked with Johnson County in any capacity,
you know that Andy is the one that makes it all happen. I cannot even begin to
describe all of his good qualities. Our Boards have not been the easiest groups
for whom one could work. We are very flawed as individuals, and even more
flawed as a group. But for the most part, things get done, and they get done
because of Andy. His wisdom, kindness, thoughtfulness, patience, honesty, humility,
and decency are beyond comparison. I wish I was half as good a person as Andy.
I could exhaust my thesaurus looking for words to explain how I feel about
Andy, but I think I’ll settle on one: Grace. I never deserved a person like
Andy as a friend or coworker, but I got to enjoy him as both. Grace. Thank you,
Andy. Thank you for everything. Grace.
Congratulations to all our winners! I look forward to all the
great things you’ll accomplish in 2017!
*DID YOU KNOW?
146 individuals/groups have received a Salvos Salute since they were
started in 2006.
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
want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
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 @ 9:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home