SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 25, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/30/17
In this edition:
*Memorial Day
*Award Winner!
*Middle Class
*Don’t Mow The Ditch!
*Haiku
*Did You Know?
*Memorial Day
Monday, May 30 is Memorial Day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and I hope you spend at least a
part of it remembering those who have died while serving our Country. Happy
Memorial Day to all!
*Award Winner!
An informational kiosk at Johnson County’s Armory and Veterans
Memorial has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National
Association of Counties (NACo) in the category of Information Technology. The
NACo awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that enhance
services for residents.
The kiosk, installed in 2013, is located south of the Johnson
County Administration Building at 913 South Dubuque Street in Iowa City. Like
its companion webpage (www.johnson-county.com/memorial), the kiosk maps the location of paver
bricks engraved with the names of veterans and supporters and a link to the
honoree’s biography, if available. The Armory, constructed in 1937, was destroyed
during the 2008 floods. The memorial was created not only to honor Johnson
County veterans and supporters, but also to educate the public on the history
of the Armory.
In addition to the NACo Achievement Award, the kiosk also won the
Iowa State Association of Counties’ (ISAC) Excellence in Action Award in 2016. ISAC’s
Excellence in Action Award is a competitive awards program that seeks to
recognize innovative county government employees, programs, and projects.
*Middle Class
Is it tougher to
make a go of it in today’s America? The answer is definitely YES!
A
2014 Bankrate survey found that only 38 percent of Americans could cover a $500
emergency-room visit or car repair with money they’d saved. A report published
last year by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that 55 percent of households
didn’t have enough liquid savings to replace a month’s worth of lost income.
Before
you go blaming this on the “bad choices” made by Americans today, consider
this: median net worth has declined steeply in the past generation—down 85.3
percent from 1983 to 2013 for the bottom income quintile, down 63.5 percent for
the second-lowest quintile, and down 25.8 percent for the third, or middle,
quintile.
People are living on
the edge because they simply are not making enough money! Income inequality –
behind climate change, the foremost issue facing America today!
We have seen this
first hand with Foster Children. Most of us have a place we could stay for two
weeks if need be. Most of us could get someone to let us use a printer. Many of
us could get a ride if we needed one. Many of us could borrow a bit of money if
necessary. Some of us have someone we could call to help change a tire. Some of
us have a person that would bail us out of jail.
For a whole bunch of
Americans, this is not true. And when you lack these things, you lose jobs.
Lose jobs, and you lose housing. And the downward spiral begins…We have created
a society full of people living on the edge. It simply has to change!
*Don’t Mow the Ditch!
The
County’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) program reminds
residents that Iowa law prohibits the mowing of ditches along county secondary
roads and state primary and interstate highways each year prior to July 15. The
no-mow order allows time for hatching and development of ground-nesting birds
and pollinators.
Johnson
County Roadside Vegetation Manager Chris Henze said that in 2010, legislation
changed the date from July 1 to July 15. “Studies have shown a significant
increase in nesting success, with more nestlings ready to fledge, given this
extra time,” Henze explained. The law also expanded the restrictions to include
county roads, thereby protecting an additional 500,000 acres of vegetated
right-of-way statewide.
“The
two-week extension also allows refugia—a suitable habitat—for pollinators
during these peak flowering times for many native plants,” Henze said.
Exceptions
to the law allow for maintaining sightlines and for controlling weeds. Cutting
for hay is not among the exceptions. The law reads:
Mowing
roadside vegetation on the rights-of-way or medians on any primary highway,
interstate highway, or secondary road prior to July 15 is prohibited, except as
follows:
- Within 200 yards of an inhabited dwelling
- On rights-of-way within one mile of the
corporate limits of a city
- To promote native species of vegetation or
other long-lived and adaptable vegetation
- To establish control of damaging insect
populations, noxious weeds, and invasive plant species
- For visibility and safety reasons
- Within rest areas, weigh stations, and wayside
parks
- Within 50 feet of a drainage tile or tile
intake
- For access to a mailbox or for other
accessibility purposes
- On rights-of-way adjacent to agricultural
demonstration or research plots
“In
an agricultural state like Iowa, the law serves as a reminder to mow only the
shoulder and leave the rest for the birds,” Henze said. “Aggressive mowing
weakens vegetation along slopes, which allows erosion and soil loss. That can
also create openings for weeds.”
Visit
the Secondary Roads page at www.johnson-county.com/roads and click on Roadside
Vegetation Management for more information on the County’s IRVM program.
*Haiku
Iowa City.
City of
Literature.
Motivates
Haiku.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson
County’s IRVM policy was awarded the 2011 Achievement Award for Roadside
Vegetation Management for our Native Plant Community Policy. The award was
presented at the annual conference of the National Association of Counties, a
national organization representing county government with a membership of about
75 percent of US counties.
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.
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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 @ 2:58 PM
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