SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 19, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/25/23
In this edition:
*RIP Randy Larson
*The History of My Seat
*Did You Know?
*RIP Randy Larson
I was sad to hear of the passing of Randy Larson of Iowa City. Randy was probably best known in the Johnson County area for his involvement in various levels of basketball, but he played many additional roles in our community.
Randy was a lifelong Democrat, and worked for and with former State Senator Joe Johnston. Whether you liked his techniques or not, Randy was a defense attorney who pushed back against the “get tough on crime” era of the 1980s. Randy was also a member of the Iowa City Council during that time.
To top it off, Randy ran several successful local businesses, including the Airliner, Bob’s Your Uncle, and Monica’s. I liked Randy, and I hope he is already playing hoops in the afterlife. RIP, Randy.
*The History of My Seat
I have been out of town, and have not had time to write. So you are getting content that has been presented previously in Salvos. I hope you find it interesting!
One thing that is extremely cool in my individual circumstance is that I can track the history of the seat I hold on the Board of Supervisors. This cannot always be done exactly, because sometimes multiple Supervisors choose to retire at the same time. For example, in 2000, both Charlie Duffy and Johnathon Jordahl chose not to run for reelection. Both Pat Harney and Terrence Neuzil were elected to open seats. So you cannot really say who replaced whom.
My seat, on the other hand… wow! I can track it back to 1947! Here it goes:
*In 2004, I was elected to replace Carol Thompson, who chose not to seek reelection.
*In 1998, Carol Thompson was elected to replace Joe Bolkcom, who had been elected to the Iowa Senate.
*In 1992, Joe Bolkcom was elected to replace Dick Myers, who chose not to seek reelection.
*In 1982, Dick Myers was elected to replace Mike Cilek, who chose not to seek election.
*In 1982, Mike Cilek was appointed to fill the last 4 months of his mother’s term after she passed away.
*In 1972, Lorada Cilek was elected to replace Ralph Prybil, who chose not to seek reelection. (It gets a little hinky here, because the Board changed the terms of Supervisors. Cilek was not seated until ’74.)
*In 1968, Ralph Prybil was elected to replace Emil Novy, who chose not to seek reelection.
*In 1958, Emil Novy was elected to replace Robert Mahoney, who chose not to seek reelection. Mahoney was first elected in 1947.
Quite a list, huh? There is a lot to consider here.
Robert Mahoney goes WAY back – he was born near Oxford in 1876! He served as a Supervisor until almost 80, lived until age 88, and still has a lot of family in the Oxford area. A relative of his (Clayton Mahoney) served on the Board in the late ‘60s.
Emil Novy was born in 1904 and lived until 1998. He farmed near North Liberty, and later lived near Shueyville. A Google search did lead me to a story about the large walnut cross at the North Liberty Methodist Church, which he crafted. He owned land near the area where Penn Street turns into North Liberty Road. While I don’t know much about him, I’m sure he would be amazed to see that area now!
Prybil passed away in 2004. He had farmed near Lone Tree, and volunteered on many boards and commissions, including the Lone Tree School Board, Johnson County Board of Health, Johnson County Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of the Mental Health Center. He came into office with one heck of a resume! In a small world twist, I always buy sweet corn from his stepson, Marv Hotz!
Lorada Cilek was the first woman elected to countywide office. What an honor to sit in her seat! And interestingly, Lorada Cilek was an important person in my young life!
You see, I grew up near Sutliff. In the 1970s, the state required Johnson County to close the old one lane bridge. There was a great debate over whether to build a new structure. Without a bridge, people in my area would have to drive into Lisbon, over to Mt. Vernon, and down Highway 1 to Solon. It turned a 5-mile drive into a 17-mile drive. This was terrible for area commuters, and would have been tragic for area farmers. It only affected a few hundred county residents, but it really affected them a lot!
Cilek came to Sutliff and listened, and became the biggest supporter of building a new bridge. The modern concrete structure that now crosses the Cedar River north of the old bridge even bears her name: The Lorada Cilek Memorial Bridge.
Mike Cilek was appointed to the Board in mid-June following his mother’s death. Mike served until the results of the 1982 election were certified in mid-November. To keep the small world stuff going, Mike was the Hawkeye quarterback in the late 1960s – and I am a Hawkeye fanatic. Even closer to home, I worked with Mike’s daughter Carrie when I served as the Executive Director of The Arc. Mike also later became my realtor! He and his wife Judy are absolutely wonderful people that I respect deeply.
Dick Myers is a local legend. From running the Hawk-I Truck Stop, to serving as Mayor of Coralville, to the Board of Supervisors, to the Democratic Leader in the Iowa House of Representatives – everyone knows Dick, and most people have a Myers story. I can tell you that Dick was a great help to me when I ran for the Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party, and has been there for me ever since. I am very lucky to have enjoyed a relationship with this incredible leader.
Joe Bolkcom: In a way, I feel like I have been following Joe around his whole career. I remember back in 1989, when our mutual friend Dave Leshtz told me I needed to get involved in local politics. He suggested that I start with supporting a candidate for Iowa City Council named Joe Bolkcom. I was impressed by Joe, and pitched in on the campaign. Luckily, Joe lost that race. Luckily, because two and a half years later he was elected to the Board of Supervisors!
Joe Bolkcom was almost certainly the most transformative Supervisor in the modern history of the Board. Before Joe, technology and transparency were afterthoughts. Joe took environmental concerns to the next level. Joe supported people with disabilities living in the community. Before Joe, the Board was generally run by a very conservative group of Democrats. Joe led the way for a different type of Democrat to serve. Joe also recognized that Johnson County had become urban, and many urban residents were going unserved.
Joe has been a fantastic State Senator for a long time now, and over the years we have become good friends. I cannot express how honored I am to sit in Joe’s seat!
Carol Thompson had a long career in human services prior to being elected to the Board. She came to Iowa City from Chicago in the 60s, and ran the local Iowa Department of Human Services Office for many years. As a young social worker, I worked at an agency that contracted with DHS. Carol often referred families and individuals to our agency, and often helped me to understand the people I was serving. From there Carol went to the local Juvenile Court Office, before replacing Bolkcom in a Special Election.
In addition to helping me as a young professional, Carol showed me that my background was a good one for a County Supervisor. A lot of time was (and is) spent on human services related matters. When Carol decided not to seek reelection, I figured I had a shot.
I am so privileged to be in this group of people. They are an amazing group of Supervisors, and it is an honor to appear in a list with them. And it was fun researching the history!
*DID YOU KNOW? On January 1, 1979 the Board expanded to 5 members.
*Lorada Cilek (D), January 2, 1974-May 20, 1982
*Harold Donnelly (D), November 12, 1976 - December 15, 1988
*Don Sehr (D), November 12, 1976-1988; March 1, 1994-1996
*Dennis Langenberg (D), 1979-1986
*Janet Shipton (D), 1979-1980 (Elected to 2 year term. Did not seek re-election.)
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.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:16 PM
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