As always, post a comment or send me an e-mail if I’ve left out a noteworthy event.
If you have kids and live in central Iowa, this coming week is your last chance to see the Asian elephant Rosie and her calf JP at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. July 13 will be their last day at the zoo.
Monday, July 7:
It’s Edna Griffin day at the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center, 75 S.E. Army Post Road in Des Moines. Sixty years ago, Griffin “led a series of protests that ultimately enforced Iowa’s civil rights statutes after she was refused service at a Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines because she was black.”
The Des Moines Register reports:
The tribute to Edna Griffin, who served in the Women’s Army Corps in World War II, includes a 2 p.m. ceremony for naming a room at the Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., and a 7 p.m. theatrical tribute at the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center, 75 S.E. Army Post Road.
The tribute will be done by Ruth Ann Gaines and Maureen Korte, with music by John Cheatem, and a march to remember Iowa’s civil rights heroes. Both events are free. For more information, call 282-8060. […]
To recreate the mood of the era, the tribute uses monologues derived from interviews with people involved with Griffin’s protests of the store and subsequent lawsuit.
Representative Bruce Braley (IA-01) begins his annual “Congress on Your Corner” tour on Monday. “Congress on Your Corner” meetings are designed to give Iowans an opportunity to meet with Braley to discuss their concerns, discuss recent initiatives in Congress, and open casework.
Here is Braley’s public schedule for the day:
8:00 am Waterloo/Cedar Falls Congress on Your Corner
Cedar Falls Conference Center
3712 Cedar Heights Dr .
Cedar Falls , Iowa11:00am Parkersburg Congress on Your Corner
Parkersburg Veterans Memorial Building
205 Colfax St .
Parkersburg , Iowa2:00pm Waverly Congress on Your Corner
Waverly Public Library
1500 W. Bremer Ave.
Waverly, Iowa
The Environmental Protection Commission will hold a general discussion meeting from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. July 7 at King’s Pointe Resort, 1520 Lakeshore Drive in Storm Lake. This meeting will be followed by a walking tour of Storm Lake, starting at the resort at 3:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the committee will attend the Storm Lake Preservation Association Picnic at the Storm Lake Municipal Golf Course Club House at 1528 Lakeshore Drive.
Tuesday, July 8:
Lots going on at the Environmental Protection Commission’s monthly meeting:
The Department of Natural Resources will update the Environmental Protection Commission on the status of flooding events in Iowa and summarize its response efforts to the flood at the monthly EPC meeting July 8. They will also discuss how land use practices can contribute to flooding.
The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. at King’s Pointe Resort, 1520 Lakeshore Drive in Storm Lake. The meeting is open to the public, with public comments starting at 10:30 a.m.
During the meeting, the EPC will also consider a proposed rule to establish criteria for awarding grants to independent recycling redemption centers. The DNR received $1 million in grants from the state’s general fund to improve these centers.
The EPC will also hear a proposal to update the Water Quality Standards Antidegradation Policy, which sets minimum requirements for the state to follow in order to conserve, maintain and protect existing uses and water quality.
DNR geologist Claire Hruby will discuss manure application on frozen or snow-covered ground at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. This issue was raised in May with an EPC motion. The EPC also received a petition from the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement to limit or ban this practice. ICCI has amended its petition and granted an indefinite extension on the usual 60-day period for response to the petition.
Look for more information about the agenda items on the DNR Web site under Commissions and Boards at www.iowadnr.gov.
Join Senators Staci Appel, Amanda Ragan, and Becky Schmitz for a fundraising reception to benefit the Senate Majority Fund:
Women of the Senate”
Past, Present & Future
Tuesday, July 8th from 5:30-7:30 PM
at the home of Roxanne Conlin
2900 Southern Hills Circle, Des Moines 50312
Join us for an evening of good food and drink and to support the Senate Democratic Majority Fund. Valet Parking will be provided.
Suggested Contribution Levels:
Host: $1000 Sponsor: $500
Patron: $250 Supporter: $125
Guest: $50
Click here to contribute.
*all online contributions before July 6th will be recognized at the event
Please RSVP if you can attend. (The link to RSVP was broken–I would call the Senate Democrats office.)
Bruce Braley will hold a telephone town hall meeting on July 8 at 7 pm Central Daylight Time:
The purpose of the call is to allow Rep. Braley and his staff to discuss federal assistance available to flood victims and answer questions about federal disaster programs.
The technology employed by Braley will call out to thousands of Iowans in the First District who can then choose to participate in the forum when reached.
Iowans who wish to call in to the town hall themselves should contact one of Rep. Braley’s district offices for a call-in number and passcode.
Nearly 5,000 residents of the district participated in Braley’s first telephone town hall meeting last month, which was about gasoline prices.
One Iowa’s “Coffee House/Happy Hour” will be at the Ritual Cafe, 13th Street between Grand and Locust in downtown Des Moines, from 5:00 to 6:45 pm on July 8:
At One Iowa, we believe all families should have equal protections and responsibilities; the way to achieve this is through marriage. As we continue our work toward Marriage Equality, this month we are focusing on the newly released comic (hot off the presses) “Iowa’s Noble Courage In Civil Rights” and the recently shot video “United for Equality.”
On Tuesday, One Iowa has the honor to host Andrea Fehring, our Marriage Equality Educator at Ritual; she will talk about the comic and video, and discuss how you can become more involved in this campaign toward equality. Andrea’s presentation will start at 5:30pm. […]
For questions, please contact One Iowa at (515)288-4019, or you can visit our web site at www.oneiowa.org.
Thursday, July 10:
A huge list of prominent Iowa Democrats including former Lt. Governor Sally Pederson & Jim Autry and Charlotte & Fed Hubbell are hosting a fundraiser for Becky Greenwald on July 10 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at Dos Rios restaurant on 4th Street and Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines:
Contribution levels:
$1,000 – Host $500 – Sponsor $250 – Supporter $100 – Friend
Please make checks payable to: Becky Greenwald for Congress
RSVP (515) 987-2800 or BeckyGreenwald@gmail.com
Individual contributions limited to $2300 and are not tax deductible. Corporate contributions are not permitted.
Becky Greenwald for Congress * Iowa 4th District
P.O. Box 608 * Perry, IA 50220 * 515-564-3883 * www.beckygreenwald.com
Friday, July 11:
IowaPolitics.com is holding another “Cookies and Conversation” program at Drake University from 1:30 to 2:30 pm:
The program, “Food, Fuel, and Iowa ‘s Future Energy Needs” will feature panelists:
Bill Northey, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture; Frank Cownie, Des Moines Mayor; John Norris, Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board; and Roya Stanley, Executive Director of the Iowa Office of Energy Independence.
The event is free, but reservations are required. Free cookies and beverages will be served.
Doors will open at 1 p.m. The program will be held in Levitt Hall, in Old Main, at 25th and University.
If you can attend please RSVP to Julie Rutz at rutz@IowaPolitics.com or call 515.226.8774. If you cannot attend but are interested in the program Mediacom will be taping the program and rebroadcasting it on its Connections Channel and Video On Demand program. The schedule will be posted on our Website at http://www.iowapolitics.com/ as soon as it becomes available.
Sunday, July 13:
House district 59 candidate Jerry Sullivan is holding a fundraiser at the Great Midwestern Café, 1250 NW 128th St in Clive, from 5 pm to 7 pm:
Partner: $500
Host: $250
Sponsor: $100
Friend: $50
Checks can be made out to Sullivan for State Representative.
Please RSVP with Mike at (614) 561-9117 or mmccall@iowademocrats.org.
The rest of the press release from Sullivan’s campaign is after the jump. It includes a link to his ActBlue page.
Friends,
My campaign for State Representative representing House District 59 continues to gain support and build excitement. In the June 3rd Primary, we scored an impressive victory, with over 78% of the vote. Now, the real campaign begins.
This is a tough race, but it is one we can win. For over 40 years, this area has been under Republican control. However, there were 1,100 new Democratic registrations last year for the caucuses. Between that, my experience in both the private and public sectors, and my long history of service to the community, we have an excellent shot at taking this seat; something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
My experience as a small-business owner, City Councilman and Mayor have made it clear what needs to be done at the local and state levels to maintain the quality of life we enjoy in the district. We need to invest in infrastructure. We need to continue the Legislature’s efforts to improve education. We need to attract businesses and good-paying jobs to the area. In order to help give the people of this district and this state the government they deserve, we are holding a special fundraiser Sunday, July 13th.
This will not be easy. But with over 120 individual donors so far, we have established ourselves as a powerful grassroots force. In order to continue the sort of campaign that will lead us to victory in November, we will need to continue building strength. I encourage you to join this historic effort to turn the district around.
If you’re unable to attend, you can contribute through my ActBlue page:
https://secure.actblue.com/con…
Jerry Sullivan
Candidate for HD 59