SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 29, 2021
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/4/21
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday Zuri!
*Happy Mother’s Day!
*Farmer’s Markets
*Candidates for Supervisor
*Thank You Matt Miller!
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday Zuri!
May 10th marks the 4th birthday of Ms. Zuri Foote, our first grandchild! I can honestly say that being a grandfather is the best gig I have ever had! And Zuri makes it easy! She is sweet, kind, fun, and smart! And oh my gosh do I love her!
I found the following stats about grandparents today. I would have to say that I am in the majority in every category:
72% think being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life.
63% say they can do a better job caring for grandchildren than they did with their own kids.
68% think being a grandparent brings them closer to their adult children.
90% enjoy talking about their grandkids to just about everyone.
I should mention that I am really proud of my daughter Rachel – Zuri’s mom. Rachel has done a great job as a mother, and I could not be more pleased with her.
Happy Birthday, Zuri! Papa loves you!
*Happy Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9. I know that this is a difficult day for many people, and I want to respect that. Yet I feel the need to talk about a special person in my life.
I want to wish a particularly Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom, Susan Sullivan Smith, and my wife, Melissa Fath. One is a birth mom, one is an adoptive mom – both are amazing people who have touched many lives.
I sometimes wish people could actually see how amazing Melissa is. We’ve had over 50 foster children over the years, and she has never missed a beat once. Melissa has done all that parenting, while at the same time doing full time cancer research. She is truly incredible!
Six years ago at this time, I was afraid I might lose her. Melissa was fighting cancer, and we did not know exactly what to expect. Thank God things went well, and this Mom-of-all-Moms is still with us today!
I hope all the moms out there have a wonderful day! You deserve it! Thanks for all you do!
*Farmer’s Markets
It is May, and that means it is time for our local Farmer’s Markets! Pork from Lois Pavelka, apple cider doughnuts, a Local Burrito, seeing Steve and Lora at their coffee booth, Marv Hotz’ sweet corn, and so much more… my mouth is watering!
People who know me know that I am a farmer’s market fanatic. I can be found at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market pretty much every Wednesday and Saturday. I love the food, I love the farmers, I love the customers … I love everything about it! See you at the market!
*Candidates for Supervisor
“Who are the candidates for the open Supervisor seat?” I have been asked this literally scores of times. Before answering that question, I think it is important to understand the process.
A special election is being held June 8. That contest will almost certainly be a race between the Democratic Party nominee and the Republican Party nominee. Independent candidates may also compete.
In order to appear on the ballot as an Independent, you must be 18 or older, not a felon, and be registered to vote in Johnson County. Then you collect 250 signatures of eligible electors, and you are on the ballot.
Democrats and Republicans must first secure their party nomination. There can only be one Democrat and one Republican on the ballot. So party candidates must also be 18 or older, not a felon, and be registered to vote in Johnson County in their respective party.
Both parties will be holding Nominating Conventions soon. To be a delegate to those Conventions, you needed to be elected a delegate back at the 2020 Caucus. If you were elected as an alternate at the 2020 Caucus, you may be able to be seated as a delegate, provided not all the delegates show up.
At Nominating Conventions, delegates select the nominee of their respective parties. From whom do they pick? From anyone who wants the job and is 18 or older, not a felon, and registered as that party.
In other words, we will not know the nominees until just before the votes are held. A couple examples: When Janelle Rettig was elected, no one else said anything about running. But at the convention, a delegate simply decided last minute she should throw her hat in the ring. She had every right to do so. And even though it was literally last minute, she got some votes.
In the most recent (two years ago) instance, 3-4 Democrats went to the Convention indicating they might run. In the end, it was just Supervisor Royceann Porter defeating former Supervisor Pat Harney. It did not have to be only two candidates; it could have been ten.
There appear to be a number of Democrats interested right now; perhaps an independent or two; and the Republicans are holding a Convention. This is great, in my opinion; I want people paying attention to the job of Supervisor!
*Thank You Matt Miller!
The GuideLink Center is now open for business, offering an alternative to folks who would have previously ended up in the hospital or jail. The early returns are very promising; I think it is safe to say the GuideLink Center represents a huge step forward for Johnson County.
None of this would have been possible without the help of Matt Miller. Actually an employee of UIHC, Matt served as the GuideLink Project Manager for Johnson County. And now, after several years of planning and a couple years of building, Matt’s time with us has come to an end.
I will forever be grateful to Matt for his calm, patient, and thoughtful demeanor; his thorough and inclusive planning; and his ability to keep everyone on task.
UIHC has a very good one in Matt Miller. Thank you, Matt, for your fantastic work on the GuideLink Center! You and your work are deeply appreciated!
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards on Friday, July 9 at 7pm at Brown Deer in Coralville. 2021 marks the 11th consecutive year that the Johnson County Democratic Party has held a separate Hall of Fame event.
Please join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be available.
The Hall of Fame inductees for 2021 are: David and Marion Coleman, Dave Leshtz, and the late Mel Stahmer. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable group!
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 a whole table (8 tickets)
We hope that this will be an in-person event, and we are planning for there to be both in-person and Zoom options for attendance. Obviously, we will continue to monitor the COVID virus as we continue to plan the event.
*DID YOU KNOW? Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants.
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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 11:07 AM
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