SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

July 26, 2026

Sullivan’s Salvos 7/30/26

In this edition:

*Happy Anniversary!

*August Leases

*Russell Stover

*Ikigai

*Ikigai, Part Two

*Consequential – Ag & Local Foods Policy Council

*Salvos Salutes – 2012

*Did You Know?

*Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary on August 1 to my wonderful wife, Dr. Melissa Fath. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know I got a great deal here! Melissa is the best wife and mother a person could ever hope for!

Happy Anniversary, Honey! It has been a great ride! I hope we celebrate many more!

*August Leases

The August leases have begun, and people are pouring into our community. There are now lots of drivers, bikers, and pedestrians who are not completely certain where they are headed.

Please allow a little more time and a little more space. Careful on the one-way streets. The newbies will figure things out in due time!

*Russell Stover

I just learned a very interesting fact. Russell Stover, the founder and man for whom the candy company is named, was born and raised in Johnson County! The Stover family farm was just south of what is now the IC Airport.

The Stover family was among the first to settle Johnson County in the very early 1840s. Many members of the family continued westward, but a few stayed. Russell attended school in IC (not sure if it was public or parochial) and attended the UI for one year (in 1911), where he met and married his wife (a Williamsburg native).

Stover made a fortune young, but was not able to handle it. He actually invented the Eskimo Pie, but ended up selling the rights when the success outstripped his ability to manage it.

Determined not to do the same thing again, Stover founded and grew Russell Stover candies into one of the biggest candy makers in the US. He died in the early 1950s, and the company has been sold several times since his death.

It sounds as though the Stovers never really stayed very connected to Iowa after they left, aside from purchasing a few houses for relatives in Iowa City.

*Ikigai

As I decide what comes next for me, I have been paying attention to a Japanese concept called “Ikigai,” or “Reason for being.” It is a really neat graphic representation of how a person fills a work niche in the world.

(I have often thought Salvos should feature photos, graphs, etc. But as I often complain, I do this all by myself. Someone would have to teach me or help me, and I simply have not had the time. So rather than screw it up, you only get text. Sorry.)

Ikigai is a series of Venn diagrams, focusing on four areas:

1. What you love,

2. What the world needs,

3. What you can be paid for, and

4. What you are good at.

I urge you to simply Google “Ikigai” and take a look. It is quite interesting, and it is helping me to ask the right questions as I determine what comes next.

*Ikigai, Part Two

While I am finding the Ikigai concept helpful, I cannot help but think about the third pilar – what you can be paid for. Think of all the artists, musicians, actors, etc. who have a great deal of talent, but not enough to earn a living. Think of all the caring people who could be in helping professions, but cannot earn a living.

Then think about many of the low paying jobs we have in our country today. Do people love them? Does the world need them? Are people good at it?

I believe we are headed for a dramatic reworking of the economy, both in the USA and around the globe. It is up to us to ensure that this reworking leaves no one behind.

*Consequential – Ag &Local Foods Policy Council

The three-way conflict between agriculture, development, and environmental concerns dominated discussions of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors from the mid-70s until about 2020. That is about 45 years, if you are counting!

This is the single issue upon which I spent the most time in my 22 years as a County Supervisor. And I am proud of the fact that we arrived in what I believe is a pretty good place.

Why the conflict? Farmers and environmentalists have been in conflict since the 70s for a few reasons. First, farming began to change. Farms used more chemicals, less people, and more intensive methods. Farms grew larger, and so did animal herds. At about the same time, the environmental movement was kicking in. The public began demanding environmental protection.

What else happened then? Boomers went to college. They arrived in Johnson County, liked it, and decided to stay. The population boomed. There were not enough houses. Developers began creating lots in unincorporated Johnson County.

Those houses and people created conflicts with both farmers and environmental goals. So things heated up.

One of the biggest challenges has always been the definition of a farm. Does having ten chickens make a place a farm? Do they need a certain income from the farm? Each and every scenario left big loopholes for developers.

Meanwhile, a counter trend was happening. People were getting very interested in local food. This opened opportunities for people to create a small farm and earn a living.

But some of the rules intended to protect agriculture were having the opposite effect. The Board at the time made the land required to be a “farm” (and therefore build a house) 40 acres. A person who wanted to grow vegetables on 5 acres did not qualify. It simply did not work.

After working with some wonderful local folks (true visionaries!) like Bob Braverman, Michelle Kenyon, Kate Edwards, Teresa Carbrey, Ellen Kapp, Kurt Friese, and others, I convinced my peers to start a Local Foods Policy Council. The idea was that this group would provide policy advice and guidance to the Board, while also doing public education and outreach.

The Board has morphed and changed over the years, but overall, it has been a huge success. I think many of the improvements in our local food system were helped along by the Local Foods Policy Council.

I have to give a special shout out to the late Bob Braverman here. Bob is one of the original small organic farmers in Johnson County, and he did a great deal to educate me. Sometimes that was through a beautiful tour of Friendly Farms. Sometimes that was through a profanity-laced phone call. Bob made his case both ways! I give Bob most of the credit for forming my idea of what our local food system could be, and for pushing me to get the ball rolling. I am really proud of the things I have accomplished in this arena. I hope Bob is proud, too.

And remember – just because things are in a pretty good place now does not mean they will stay that way! The status quo requires constant vigilance!

*Salvos Salutes – 2012

What I wrote about some of the honorees from Salvos’s Salutes in 2012:

Toni & Jake DeRyke: It seems as though this couple supports every good cause this county has to offer. They are never in the spotlight, but they are always there. These are precisely the type of caring people that make our county great! And Toni cleans my clock at the Iowa City Scrabble Club!

Ed Flaherty: We have been at war for over eleven years now – the longest war in US history. It is easy to forget this – unless you know Ed Flaherty and his fellow Veterans for Peace. Ed refuses to forget, and refuses to let us forget, even if that becomes uncomfortable. Ed’s message is simple: peace is the best route. If only our leaders would listen!

Jim McCarragher: During the campaign for a new Justice Center, local attorney Jim McCarragher volunteered more time and talent than any other county resident. He had nothing to gain from this advocacy; he simply knew it to be a big community need. Though the measure failed to achieve the required 60%, it did get over 56% of the vote – in no small part due to Jim’s efforts.

Sandy Hanson: The people of Solon have a spark plug in Sandy Hanson, who is probably best known for the Hanson’s Grove antique sales on Highway 1. These sales take a lot of time, but that time pales in comparison to the time Sandy has put in with Seniors, the homebound, and starting the Solon Food Pantry.

Sam Becker: Like many people, I was sad to learn of Sam’s recent passing. Sam and his wife Ruth were instrumental in creating the whole system of supports that exist for people with disabilities. The Arc, Goodwill, Systems Unlimited, special ed in the ICCSD – we take these things for granted. The Beckers STARTED them! In addition to being a popular professor, an internationally known scholar, chairing the Board in Control of Athletics, serving as a community volunteer, an active Democrat, and a selfless philanthropist, Sam was a wonderful husband, father, and friend.

Sally Stutsman: My colleague on the Board of Supervisors is headed to the Iowa Legislature, and I could not be more proud. As I have noted before, Sally deserves most of the credit for improving the County government we now have. Before Sally was elected, we had cronyism, sexism, secrecy, no plan for investing, a lack of transparency, and a lack of written policies. Over many objections, Sally led Johnson County to a government of laws rather than a government of personalities. Sally has never gotten the thanks she ought to for her work in those trying times. Sally will do government right for the people of HD77.

Sue Dvorsky: The old saying is you need to go at least an hour away from home to be appreciated as an expert. Well, we have an expert among us in Sue Dvorsky, whose leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party brought us a big Obama win, two out of four Congressional seats, maintenance of power in the Iowa Senate, a near takeover of the Iowa House, and a party that is right on the issues, financially strong, and a model for the rest of the US. Congrats, Sue, on a job well done!

As you can see, 2012 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!

*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has 21 townships.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

July 19, 2026

I still have yet to find out if I am, in fact, the longest-serving Supervisor in Johnson County history. I believe I am, but I have been unable to verify that.

I need someone to look at the period from 1866-1932 in order to confirm or dispute that claim. If you know someone who enjoys this type of research, please send them my way. Thanks!

The local Johnson County Moms Demand Action group is beginning to plan a Nov. 1st event honoring those impacted by the UI mass shooting in 1991, holding space for those recently impacted by the Ped Mall shooting, and inspiring all who are deeply interested in gun violence prevention efforts to action. We'd like to gather personal stories via Google Form at https://forms.gle/43kWUabqt3EC7x1Z8. If you were personally impacted by either event, we would appreciate you sending in a response. Feel free to share the form link with others, who were impacted by these events.

(Thanks to the Iowa Legislature, Johnson County’s Community ID program ended on July 1. I am proud of what we did to get Community ID off the ground. Below is what I wrote when we adopted the program in 2015. This is from Salvos on 4-14-15.)

Johnson County is preparing to roll out a Community ID program. I am excited about this, and I want to take a little time to explain why I believe this is a good thing for our community.

First, a bit of history – the impetus for this came from the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ), a remarkable local organization dedicated to securing fair treatment for immigrant workers.

Like every other organization that has ever existed in Johnson County, the CWJ thought they should start with Iowa City and Coralville. Soon they realized that working with Johnson County might be a better avenue for getting this done.

A committee was formed, consisting of CWJ members, local labor leaders, and three Johnson County officials: Recorder Kim Painter, Auditor Travis Weipert, and County Attorney Janet Lyness. These folks have moved the process forward to where we are today.

We also have an ace in the hole when it comes to going through this process. UI Law Professor Stella Burch Elias specializes in Immigration Law. More importantly, she was centrally involved in the successful effort to create a Community ID in New Haven, Connecticut. Having her involved ensures that Johnson County follows applicable federal laws, and prevents us from reinventing the wheel.

The ID itself will be a laminated card with a holographic image applied, the same size as a driver’s license. The cost to get an ID will be $5 or $10.

Because there are already 700 people who have signed forms requesting IDs, we will need to determine a process for getting the first wave their IDs. This will likely be a weekend effort, utilize existing County staff. After the initial group of 700, we expect the ongoing numbers to be more like 5-10 IDs per month. Given that, we expect people to simply be able to call the Board of Supervisors Office to schedule an appointment to get their IDs. We may work with local libraries to arrange some weekend hours.

Why do we need a Community ID? I have a very personal story. After years of doing nothing, a few years ago, the Board of Supervisors finally began taking action against the criminals that own Regency Mobile Home Park. State law severely limits the ability of the Board to intervene, but there were dozens of credible reports of fraud coming from Regency.

Johnson County detectives swooped in, gathered all the info they could, and began following up on leads. Then they ran into a stone wall. Most of the people they needed to speak with refused to talk to them. These folks saw law enforcement coming, and they went the other way – even when they were innocent victims!

I spoke at length with the lead detective on the case, and he said that this avoidance of law enforcement was common. When I asked why, he said it all came back to a lack of ID.

This illustrates the number one reason for instituting a Community ID – public safety. We need victims and witnesses to come forward in order to solve crimes and see to it that justice is served. The Community ID will help with this.

There are many additional benefits: immigrants can open bank accounts and cash checks; cardholders can access municipal services such as the library, rec centers, etc.; it can serve as a second ID for employment purposes; it can serve as an ID for local schools; the list goes on and on.

The Community ID will be available to anyone who can provide the proper documentation. The bar will not be as high as an Iowa Driver ID, but there will be protections to ensure that the person is who they claim to be.

Johnson County is home to thousands of immigrants. China, India, Korea, Mexico, Sudan, Senegal, Honduras… the people of Johnson County are increasingly diverse. We need to do a better job welcoming these folks to our community. They are our future!

It does not get a lot of publicity, but one of the areas in which elected officials can impact health, safety, and the environment is through Planning and Zoning ordinances. I am very proud of the ordinances we adopted during my time as a Supervisor.

The first was a Sensitive Areas Ordinance. This is designed to protect steep slopes, woodlands, wetlands, prairies, historic sites, and other unique features. It does not stop development, but ensures that development avoid and protect these areas. It might sound like a no-brainer, but it took a lot of work to get this done in 2006.

Johnson County adopted a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan in about 2010. This led to a lot of positive changes in the way Johnson County does business, including solar power, programmable thermostats, electric vehicles, greater recycling, less car miles traveled, and much more.

Another ordinance of which I am proud is our Stormwater Management Ordinance. Cities have storm sewers; counties do not. So we need another way to ensure that storm water does not damage neighboring properties, pollutants do not rush into our streams, etc. I am very proud of this ordinance, which came along around 2012.

Johnson County added Wind and Solar Ordinances around 2022. These are aimed at larger scale producers, and encourage this type of energy generation while protecting neighbors.

Finally, we adopted policies to balance small scale agriculture with urban sprawl. This is the longest, deepest, most drawn out struggle I ever dealt with in 22 years on the Board. How do we allow small farmers to do their thing without creating loopholes that allow unrestricted rural development? It took a long time and a lot of work, but we have struck a pretty darn good balance. I hope future Boards will not upset this hard-won victory! I am pretty certain they do not fully grasp the decades of struggle to get where we are. I hope they rely on the memories of folks who went through it.

I am proud of all the positive Planning and Zoning advancements we made during my tenure!

Dorothy Whiston: The newly installed Pastor at First Baptist Church, Dorothy has led the Soul Friends Ministry for several years. That organization does a great job of ministering to families affected by the criminal justice system. Lately, Dorothy has done fantastic work addressing the systemic racism that exists here in Johnson County. This is an important but difficult topic, and Dorothy has tackled it courageously.

Roger Lusala: The Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP) is booming! Some have pointedly asked – “Can MYEP really do all this and do it well?” If the Executive Director of the agency is any indication, then the answer is yes, they can! What’s more, the guy is a father to 5 daughters under 12! Go, Roger!

Gerald & Joan Morgan: From serving as Santa and Mrs. Claus, to organizing antique tractor rides, to running the Old Settlers events, to volunteering on the Conservation Board, to being President of the Farm Bureau, to serving as the “Mayor” of River Junction – Gerald and Joan Morgan donate more of their time and talents than almost anyone I know. They epitomize the volunteerism that runs so deep here in Johnson County.

Bill Greazel: The job of assessing property demands accuracy. Nobody does that better than Johnson County Assessor Bill Greazel, who is the best in Iowa, period! We should all learn to appreciate the excellent job done by Bill and his employees.

Zach Wahls: I do not know Zach Wahls, nor do I know his mothers. I just know that no one has made me prouder to say I am from Johnson County! Thanks, Zach, for putting us on the map in such a positive light! We are proud of you!

Occupy Iowa City: The political, financial, legal, and other systems are rigged to favor the wealthiest 1% of Americans. To varying degrees, we all knew this. Yet the Occupy Movement has called attention to the needs of the 99% like no previous effort. What’s more, the local Occupiers have been polite, respectful, thoughtful, and smart. I have spent several hours talking to Occupy folks, and they fill me with hope for our future.

*DID YOU KNOW? 94% of Johnson County residents 21 and older have a high school diploma. (Source: US Census Bureau.)