SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 27, 2018
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/2/18
In this edition:
*RIP Nancy and Jeff
*Harvest Driving
*Wilson’s Orchard
*Listen to the Board Meetings
*November Elections
*My Favorite Quote
*Green Room Event
*Did You Know?
*RIP Nancy and Jeff
I was sad to see that Nancy Anderson passed away. Nancy taught my son BJ at Hoover Elementary, and was a kind and caring individual. I knew Nancy was struggling with poor health; I hope she has found peace.
I was shocked and saddened to see that Jeff Kosier passed away. Jeff taught all three of my kids at Hoover, and he and I became friends during the process.
Jeff was a big guy with an icy stare, but a big heart and a great sense of humor. I will never forget - my daughter Rachel arrived at Hoover in 4thgrade in a blaze of glory! They had no idea what to do with her. No labels accurately described her, no tactics seemed to work, and she was giving her teachers fits. As they were assigning kids to 5th/6thgrade rooms, the Principal called me in. She said, “I think Rachel needs a dose of Kosier.” And she did! That meant tough love and accountability.
My kids were (and are) all very different. And though Jeff treated each as an individual, he always got the most out of them.
RIP, Jeff Kosier. A great teacher and great guy!
*Harvest Driving
It is harvest season, and that means you are going to encounter large farm implements on the road. Please be careful and polite to our farmers!
Tractors, wagons, combines, semis… there are lots of agricultural vehicles out there. In addition, it is a beautiful time of year, so many people are just taking fall drives. There is plenty of potential for conflict, so please be safe!
*Wilson’s Orchard
It would not be fall without a trip to Wilson’s Orchard! Just off Highway 1 between Iowa City and Solon, this beautiful orchard offers you-pick, tractor rides, and much more! And it really is beautiful! Some of the views are breathtaking!
What’s more, when you support local farms like Wilson’s, your dollars circulate through our economy many times over!
*Listen to the Board Meetings
People interested in County government should take the time to listen to and/or watch a meeting. The Thursday, September 20 meeting is a great example.
You can get there from the County homepage (www.johnson-county.com) or by following this link: http://johnsoncountyia.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=2328. There are both formal and informal meetings; be sure to listen to formal.
The meeting is about 55 minutes long; the first 25 minutes are a series of three proclamations: Fall Prevention Awareness, Food Rescue Awareness, and International Day of Peace. Feel free to listen to those if you are interested in those topics. The rest of the meeting – 30 minutes – is more representative of a typical county meeting.
*November Elections
I wrote about this just two weeks ago. But frankly, it is the most important thing I can write. We need you to volunteer!
In Johnson County, there are offices in North Liberty and Iowa City. You can walk in seven days a week, grab a packet, and either door knock or make phone calls.
Neither is hard, but if you want to join a more experienced volunteer for your first time or two, the staff will make that happen.
Personally, I have been door knocking a couple times every week. So I would like to throw down this challenge… there are now about 6 weeks left until Election Day. Door knock at least 6 times between now and Election Day, and you are invited to a mid-November pizza party. (Exact details to follow.)
What are you waiting for? Call Conner Dane at 617-959-1428 to get started.
*My Favorite Quote
My all-time favorite quote comes from Saint Augustine (354-430), who said: “Charity is no substitute for Justice.”
This quote goes straight to one of the root problems of today’s neoliberal thought. Way too many people in this world think that because they give alms, they are doing their part. Perhaps a better analogy for today is, “I posted about it on Facebook, so I did something.” In fact, charity is easy. Justice is hard.
Here are some examples: You donate to the clothing drive at the local “poor school”, but you will not fight for redistricting and rezoning that eliminates the existence of the “poor school”. That is charity, not justice.
You volunteer at a food bank, but you will not support a higher minimum wage. That is charity, not justice.
You donate money to veteran’s groups, but you fail to speak out against unjust wars. That is charity, not justice.
Your City Council sponsors the local Juneteenth celebration, but refuses to take seriously issues of disproportionate minority contact. That is charity, not justice.
Charity is generally a good thing. It is critical for individuals in the moment. But we must not lose sight of the march toward justice. We must not allow charitable good works to clear our consciences and pretend we have somehow done our part. Not until justice is served.
*Green Room Event
Monday, October 8th @ Englert Theatre
Jesse Elliott, director at The Music District.
Jesse Elliott, director at The Music District.
with
Rachel Ries, songwriter, performer, and community choral leader.
Featured nonprofit: Englert Theatre
Facebook event link to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/238275536893086/<https://www.facebook.com/events/238275536893086/>
Featured nonprofit: Englert Theatre
Facebook event link to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/238275536893086/<https://www.facebook.com/events/238275536893086/>
*DID YOU KNOW? The US Military has $717 billion budgeted for FY19. Remember – wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not included in this budget! Over the past 17 years, the US has spent over $4 trillion on those wars. The US had Special Forces in 149 of the world’s 195 countries in 2017. (I apologize, as I am not 100% certain of the source for these statistics. My bet is that Ed Flaherty of Iowa City could provide a source if someone wants it.)
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 @ 11:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home