Food advice for the Iowa State Fair, which runs from August 13-23: The best deal on lemonade is at the honey producers’ booth in the ag building. The best ice cream is in the Bauder’s truck, not far from the ag building. Don’t miss popcorn with real butter.
If you’re looking for something useful to do in August, I’ve got lots of event details after the jump.
Please consider attending some town hall meetings with members of Congress. Don’t let right-wing astroturf mobs dominate all of this month’s town-hall meetings.
As always, post a comment or send an e-mail to desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com if you know of something I’ve left out. You can volunteer for Curt Hanson’s campaign in Iowa House district 90 any weekend this month. I noticed that Mariannette Miller-Meeks has been knocking on doors for the Republican candidate, Stephen Burgmeier.
Monday, August 10:
From I’M for Iowa:
August 10 – House Party with State Rep Chuck Isenhart (Des Moines)
Meet the newly-elected state rep from Dubuque at the home of John & Cyndi Pederson, 1075 44th Street from 5:00 – 7:30 pm. The event will feature food and drink grown by Iowa farmers, comments (at 6:15) by Attorney General Tom Miller and former State Rep Bob Osterhaus, and a chance to learn about Chuck’s “Campaign for the Common Good.” Donations to Chuck’s campaign appreciated but not required. Contact Chuck at goodcampaign@aol.com or (563) 557-1261.August 10 – Planning meeting for Oct. 24th climate change event (Des Moines)
In the Des Moines area, planning for the October 24th national day of action on climate change is moving forward. The next meeting is 6:30 pm at First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Avenue. Contact jandjmcalister@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, August 12:
Senator Chuck Grassley is holding several town-hall meetings:
Madison County Town Hall Meeting
* Date/Time: Wednesday August 12, 2009 9:15 – 10:15 AM
Winterset Public Library
123 North 2nd Street
Winterset
Union County Town Hall Meeting
* Date/Time: Wednesday August 12, 2009 11:15 – 12:15 PM
Afton City Hall
Council Chambers
115 East Kansas Street
Afton
Guthrie County Town Hall Meeting
* Date/Time: Wednesday August 12, 2009 2:30 – 3:30 PM
Panora Community Center
115 West Main Street
Panora
Dallas County Town Hall Meeting
* Date/Time: Wednesday August 12, 2009 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Adel Public Library
Meeting Room
303 South 10th Street
Adel
Thursday, August 13:
Congressman Leonard Boswell is having a health care listening session at the Sigourney Public Library, 720 E. Jackson St., 2 p.m, Sigourney. Those interested in attending are asked to call Boswell’s Des Moines office, (515) 282-1909, or e-mail boswellrsvp@mail.house.gov.
From Moore for City Council:
You are invited to meet the candidate at an open house for Skip Moore
Candidate for Des Moines City Council At-LargeHosted by Kathrine & Ralph Caracciolo, Connie & Isabella Marturello, Vincent Scavo & Joe Henry
Thursday, August 13th
6:00 PM – 8:00 PMFood & beverages provided
At the home of Joe Henry
2463 E. Highview Drive, Des MoinesPlease RSVP to Skip Moore or Mitch Henry at 729-2926 or email Moore4council@aol.com
Friday, August 14:
The Polk County Democrats are holding their 10th annual women’s event at the home of Roxanne Conlin, 2900 Southern Hills Circle, Des Moines, from 5 pm to 7 pm. Special Invited Guest: Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan. Please call to RSVP at 515-285-1800.
Saturday, August 15:
Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) has four town-hall meetings scheduled:
9:30 AM Cedar Rapids
343 Cedar Hall, Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW12:00 PM Mount Pleasant
Civic Center
307 East Monroe Street2:00 PM Fort Madison
City Hall Council Chambers
811 Avenue E3:30 PM Burlington
City Hall Council Chambers
400 Washington Street
From the Iowa Environmental Council:
8th Annual River Run Garbage Grab
August 15, Des Moines area
Help clean up the Des Moines River Water Trail in Polk County, 9am – 4:30pm, with special guest Chad Pregracke (Living Lands & Waters). Got a boat? Clean up a section of river from Cottonwood Recreation Area to Yellow Banks County Park. Like to walk? Clean up a section of trail form Cotttonwood Recreation Area to Downtown Des Moines. Starting at 6pm food and live music will be provided to volunteers at Simon Estes Ampitheatre. For more information and to register, go to www.riverstewards.org
Amory Lovins to Speak at Green Wave Festival
August 15, Okoboji
The Second-Annual Green Wave Festival will be held on August 15th and 16th in Okoboji, IA. On Saturday, the 15th, at the Sami Bedell Center for the Performing Arts from 10:30-4:30 come learn from environmental leaders on many issues that are facing our region, nation, and globe. Co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute and recently named one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Influential People Amory Lovins, and Director of the Iowa DNR Rich Leopold will be keynote speakers. Tickets $24 for adult and $18 for students and are available at www.samicenter.org. Please visit www.greenwavefest.com for more information on the two day event. If you have questions or are interested in a booth or being a sponsor, contact Charles Vigdal at the Dickinson County Conservation Board, 712-336-6352 ext 2212, cvigdal@co.dickinson.ia.us. All proceeds will benefit the Dickinson County Nature Center.
Tuesday, August 18:
Note: the town-hall meeting in Maquoketa that Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) had scheduled for this day has been postponed until early September because Braley was summoned for jury duty in Black Hawk County. I can’t imagine that he’ll end up serving on a jury, though. Attorneys usually strike fellow attorneys from potential juries, for fear they will dominate the deliberations.
It’s the last day to register for the Iowa Environmental Council’s September 25 annual meeting at the early bird discounted rate. For more details, go to http://www.iaenvironment.org.
Wednesday, August 19:
Congressman Braley has two public events planned:
10:00am Fayette Congress on Your Corner (one-on-one meetings with Rep. Braley)
Upper Iowa University
Garbee Hall, Fayette/Upper Iowa Room
605 Washington St
Fayette, Iowa1:30pm Buchanan County Healthcare Town Hall
Independence Library
805 1st Street E
Independence, Iowa
Friday, August 21:
Dig IN begins in Decorah. It’s a weekend festival with lots of eco-friendly events. Visit www.digindecorah.com/.
The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa’s Crossroads luncheon will focus on “Healthcare for All.” Lunch is from 11:45 – 1:00 at Plymouth Congregational Church (42nd and Ingersoll). The speaker is Carrie Fitzgerald, Senior Health Policy Associate with Child & Family Policy Center, who will lead a discussion about the recent healthcare legislation passed by the Iowa Legislature. Cost is $9. RSVP by August 18th to (515) 279-8715 or events@interfaithallianceiowa.org.
From the Iowa Environmental Council:
Lower Wapsipinicon River Cleanup Project
August 21-23, Clinton County
Clean up Lower Wapsi River from McCausland to Rock Creek Marina, and areas of backwater/watershed. Ages 10 and up (with adult) are welcome. There will be free primitive camping in a designated area at Rock Creek Marina & Campground on the 21st and 22nd, free use of canoe equipment for the cleanup with your registration, catered meals available Saturday and Sunday and educational programs from Clinton County Conservation Board. You need to register by August 10 for one day or both to guarantee catered meals and T-shirt, but you may register up to the day prior to the event. Registration form and details at http://www.lowerwapsicleanup.org. For more information, contact Jackie Gautsch at j.gautsch@hotmail.com or 608-797-5343.
Saturday, August 22:
Congressman Loebsack has more town-hall meetings scheduled:
10:00 AM Iowa City
Public Library
123 S. Linn St.11:45 AM Tipton
Cedar County Extension
107 Cedar Street2:00 PM Muscatine
City Hall Council Chambers
215 Sycamore Street4:00 PM Columbus Junction
City Hall Council Chambers
232 2nd Street
From the Iowa Environmental Council:
The sixth annual Xstream Cleanup will take place Saturday, August 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cleanups are scheduled in Bettendorf, Davenport, Durant and LeClaire, Iowa and East Moline, Hampton, Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis, Illinois. Xstream Cleanup is a Quad City-wide cleanup of creeks, drainage ways, and sections of the Mississippi and Rock Rivers. For more information, or to volunteer visit www.xstreamcleanup.org or call 563-468-4218.
Sunday, August 23:
The Environmental Law and Policy Center, Repower Iowa and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light are hosting the first Iowa Activist Training in downtown Des Moines. Participants will learn about messaging and earned media strategies, grassroots campaign planning and tactics and other elements of successful environmental activism. To learn more, visit www.iowaglobalwarming.org. If you would like to register, please contact Andrew Snow at asnow@elpc.org.
10 Comments
Office visits for health reform
Organizing for America is encouraging people who support health-care reform with a strong public option to drop by their congressional representatives’ offices this week to register their support. I’m always looking for small ways I can make an impact since having young children makes anything more time-consuming tricky at best. My wonderful mother-in-law has volunteered to watch my kids on Wednesday morning so that I can attend Grassley’s town hall in Winterset, but I think the boys and I will still drop in at his Des Moines office later this week to make sure a staffer writes down my name, address, and support for quality health-care legislation. Seems like a easy outing with the kids, and I definitely want Grassley to know that there is support for the public option in central Iowa, even out here in Urbandale!
On a side note, I’ve been going around and around about what I should ask Senator Grassley if I get to pose a question on Wednesday. While I want to stick to details of the legislation, part of me would also love to ask him to comment on the lack of civil discourse displayed at many public meetings. Any ideas from fellow Bleeding Heartlanders?
urbandaleforobama Mon 10 Aug 8:29 AM
On the Subject of Healthcare...
Get this moron.. Posted from CommonDreams.org
eltondavis Mon 10 Aug 7:42 PM
speaking of morons
The conservative Investors Business Daily published an editorial with this gem of wisdom:
desmoinesdem Mon 10 Aug 8:11 PM
I posted a comment
at The Iowa Republican today urging conservatives to open their wallets for the guy who came out to protest health care reform and now has to go begging for charity to pay doctors’ bills because he was laid off and lost his health insurance. The only response was that the “union thugs” who allegedly beat him up (which isn’t really supported by the footage) should pay.
desmoinesdem Mon 10 Aug 8:12 PM
TIR
Good luck getting anywhere with those goons. The majority of the people who comment on that site are as dumb as stumps.
american007 Tue 11 Aug 12:05 AM
Skip Moore meet & greet at the East Side Library on Wednesday, September 2nd
Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council At Large, would like to invite you to a meet and greet at the East Side Library on Wednesday, September 2nd.
This is a great opportunity to ask Skip questions, learn about the issues important to the residents of Des Moines and become involved in his campaign for City Council.
Location: East Side Library Meeting Room, 2559 Hubbell Avenue, Des Moines
Date: Wednesday, September 2nd
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Appetizers will be provided.
Please contact the campaign at 729-2926 if you have any questions, or email us at Moore4council@aol.com
mitch Tue 25 Aug 8:38 AM
Skip Moore Meet and Greet at the Northwest Community Center on Wednesday, September 16th
Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council At Large, would like to invite you to a meet and greet at the Northwest Community Center on Wednesday, September 16th.
This is a great opportunity to ask Skip questions, learn about the issues important to the residents of Des Moines and become involved in his campaign for City Council.
Location: Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave., Des Moines
Date: Wednesday, September 16th
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Appetizers will be provided.
Please contact the campaign at 729-2926 if you have any questions, or email us at Moore4council@aol.com
mitch Sat 5 Sep 4:14 PM
Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council, launches new campaign web site
For Immediate Release:
Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council, launches new campaign web site
10/6/09
Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council At-Large, is proud to announce a new campaign web site at www.moore4council.com.
Due to the overwhelming demand for information on Skip Moore’s candidacy, a new web site has been launched at www.moore4council.com. Des Moines voters will be able to meet Skip Moore, find out about upcoming events, request a yard sign or absentee ballot and contribute to Skip Moore’s candidacy by visiting his new web site.
Please contact Mitch Henry at 729-2926, or email Moore4council@aol.com for additional information.
mitch Wed 7 Oct 7:29 AM