SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 22, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/26/26
In this edition:
*RIP Dick Myers
*Opening Day!
*Shelter House Book Sale
*Library Celebration
*Trans Day of Visibility
*Oh No! A “Patchwork”!
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
*Did You Know?
*RIP Dick Myers
We lost a giant of local politics with the recent passing of Dick Myers of Coralville. Myers was Mayor of Coralville, a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, and spent 10 years in the Iowa Legislature, including several years as House Democratic Leader.
Despite all these political accomplishments, Myers is better known locally for all his colorful and meaningful exploits. Dick was a recovering alcoholic, and this was just after the time of Iowa Governor and Senator Harold Hughes, who famously made his alcoholism a part of his campaign. Myers acted similarly – he was not embarrassed; he just wanted to use his experiences to help others. So Dick was a cofounder of the Mid East Council on Chemical Abuse, or MECCA. MECCA was created in the early ‘70s, changed its name to Prelude in the early 2000s, and about 7 years ago merged with Community and Family Resources (CFR). CFR remains the primary substance abuse treatment partner of Johnson County. Over the years, MECCA/Prelude/CFR has helped improve the lives of thousands of Johnson County residents.
Myers was also well-known as the owner of Hawkeye Truck Stop, an I-80 institution located in what is now called Iowa River Landing. Hawkeye Truck Stop did it all – they fixed semis, sold gas, sold car and truck accessories, and operated a 24-hour diner. That diner was a legendary place (I loved the chili!) where all sorts of late-night activities took place. People still talk about some of the waitresses there, who could simultaneously juggle over the road truckers, studying college students, after-bar drunks, and much more.
After selling the Hawkeye Truck Stop, Dick followed another passion, opening Hawkeye Harley Davidson. People remember Dick leading off every Coralville 4th of July Parade on his Harley, wearing a white suit and red, white and blue tie.
There are just so many Myers stories – from Jimmy Carter sleeping on his couch, to pushing past Barack Obama’s security, to writing huge checks to bail out a local Democratic Party that did not always balance the books as well as it should have.
Personally, I will always remember his kindness. First, to me personally… when I became the Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party in the late ‘90s, Dick pulled me aside after a League of Women Voters Legislative Forum. In his own gruff way, he handed me a small piece of paper with a phone number on it and said, “I have your back. If anybody gives you trouble, you call me.”
In terms of kindness to others, Dick once told me a story of he and J. Patrick White driving over to an isolated part of Coralville then known as Goat Hollow. As I recall, Dick said that the homes there were not on city water or sewer, and had no city trash pick-up. The roads were dirt. The poverty there ran very deep. They drove in silence for a while, and Pat said, “Dick, this is unacceptable.” Myers agreed, and set about improving this area of Coralville. In many cases, Dick hired people from Goat Hollow to work at the Truck Stop, establishing decades-long bonds with some families.
It gets overused when discussing political figures, but Dick Myers was a great man. RIP.
*Opening Day!
March 26 is Opening Day! Even if one is not a baseball fan, there is a wonderful rebirth that happens every year with Opening Day. Like so many things we associate with spring, a new baseball season is a fresh start. Every team is 0-0, with an opportunity to do great things. Once again, there is hope. And we all need that!
I hope your team (however you wish to define it!) has a “dream season” this summer!
*Shelter House Book Sale
The annual Shelter House Book Sale is Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29 at 860 Quarry Road in Coralville. The sale is open both days from 10:30-4.
This is an important annual fundraiser for Shelter House, and I hope you will stop out and buy some books for a great cause!
*Library Celebration
Saturday, April 11, 2026, 7:30 to 9:30pm
Join us for a brilliant evening at the Iowa City Public Library as we celebrate and support our Library!
“Bright Future: Celebrating the Iowa City Public Library” is a special after-hours fundraising party dedicated to fostering appreciation and growth of our beloved library.
Guests will begin the evening immersed in the Library itself, as the doors open for an unforgettable night. With food and drink stations throughout the space, pop-up performances, live music, readings, and more, guests will explore the Library as they’ve never seen it before—celebrating and supporting this incredible community resource. Together, we’re building a Bright Future for our Library!
- 6:00 pm – Library closes
- 7:00–7:30 pm – Sponsor Toast & Welcome (by invitation)
- 7:30 pm – Library doors open and party begins for all ticket holders. Throughout the evening, enjoy the silent auction, food & drink stations, pop-up performances, live music, readings, and more.
- 9 pm – Auction closes (pick up auction items at 9:15 pm)
- 9:30 Party concludes
Online auction will be online 2 weeks in advance of the event until April 11, 2026 at 9:00pm. See an example of last year’s auction here: bit.ly/BrightFutureAuction
Presented by the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation
Sponsored by James Investment Group . Join our growing list of sponsors here.
*Trans Day of Visibility
There is a rally to note Trans Day of Visibility on Tuesday, March 31 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at College Green Park. There will be music, speakers, and other activities. This is a great opportunity to show your support!
*Oh No! A “Patchwork”!
(I wrote the following in the spring of 2017, after the Iowa Legislature took away the minimum wage increase (which I got passed) that we had instituted two years earlier. I noted that recently the GOP is leaning on the same tired argument to take away our Human Rights Ordinance (which I got passed) and our Community ID (which I got passed). Although this was written nine years ago, it still applies today.)
I cannot even begin to describe how tired I am of hearing the GOP describe the current minimum wage situation as a “patchwork.” As a matter of fact, next time I hear it, I’ll likely vomit, so give me a wide berth.
A bit of background: When Johnson County passed a higher minimum wage in 2015, a few of our cities voted for lower wages for their workers. This was completely legal. So it is true – there are cities in Johnson County with differing wages, creating what the GOP wails about as a “patchwork.”
You know what else is a “patchwork”? Property taxes, sales taxes, property insurance, workers comp insurance, liability insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, rent, electric, gas, water, sewer, cable, garbage, recycling, parking, computers, office supplies, consulting, and pretty much every other expense a business can have! They are ALL “patchwork”! Costs are NEVER the same from location to location! The “patchwork" argument is nothing but a red herring!
All of these businesses are used to paying differing amounts for all these items, and wages, too. After all, the minimum wage is different in several of our neighboring states. Businesses that cross state lines do this every day. Again, the “patchwork” argument is nothing but a red herring!
We are going to fight another day on this issue – mark my words. Prepare to shoot down the predictable and untrue argument that a “patchwork” of wages is too hard for businesses.
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards on Saturday, May 16 at 7pm at the Holiday Inn in Coralville. 2026 marks the 16th 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 2026 are: Terry and Laurie Dahms, Linda Yanney, Joan and Tom Cook, and Mike Owen. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable group!
Tickets are available for a $35 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that amount should still feel welcome. Sponsorships are available.
*DID YOU KNOW? In 1910 President Taft began the tradition of “throwing out the first pitch.” He did so at Opening Day for the Washington Senators.
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 @ 6:05 PM
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