Christmas has passed, so what is up in the New Year in Cedar Rapids?

We hope everyone had a nice Christmas holiday. We enjoyed our time with friends and family this Holiday Season.

No, not heading to Phoenix this year for an Iowa bowl game, though we will be rooting for the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. the Oklahoma Sooners, in a homecoming game for OU coach Bob Stoops. The Hawkeyes are playing in the 2011 Insight Bowl. The second straight year in the Insight, as Iowa attempts to win for the first time, an unprecedented four bowl games in a row.

It's Monday, December 26Th and the New Year is less than a week away now.

On Tuesday, January 3Rd, Iowans will have an opportunity to participate in the Iowa Caucus. Our President will likely be unattested, but the Republican nomination process will have the first test, in Iowa. Who was the first to file in Iowa? As the link pointed out, it was the President.

Do you feel the Presidential race in Iowa is a little quieter, than in the past? The candidate we are pulling for is placing most of his focus on New Hampshire, which will have the first primary in the Nation on January 10Th. A candidate with a strong philosophy on free markets and small government would be a breath of fresh air right now. What's ahead for the GOP field?

The City of Cedar Rapids on January 2Nd will seat two new City Council members. From a gender standpoint, the Council will add another women to the Council The five cities of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Fairfax will bring a sales tax extension to the public again in March 6, 2012.

Out with the old - Rick Smith, The Gazette
Arena renovation taking shape in downtown Cedar Rapids
The City of Cedar Rapids is renovating the old U.S. Cellular Center, hotel and is adding a new convention center to the adjoining block and street.

Cedar Rapids-based radio station to launch in 2012‎ - The Gazette
(Dave DeWitte/Sourcemedia News) CEDAR RAPIDS — Corridor radio listeners might soon be able to tune in to a Spanish language broadcast of a Kernels baseball ...

The City of Cedar Rapids will likely be seeking to fill a vacancy with the police chief in the new year. City Manager Jeff Pomeranz will get an opportunity to fill the position. The present police chief was selected by the City's first full-time city manager.

Over the past year, we were involved heavily with three issues directly in front of the City Council.

• Robin Tucker served on the Charter Review Commission in 2011


• The discussion of the boundaries for the MedQuarter district in Cedar Rapids


• The proposed Section 8 housing mandate and Lawful Source of Income being added as protective class in the City's new proposed Chapter 69 ordinance

Likely, new matters will arise in 2012. We want to wish you and yours a Happy New Year in 2012.

As we begin to Celebrate Christmas with family and friends

Wow, Christmas weekend has arrived. It has been a very busy year in 2011 with our real estate and manufacturing businesses. Our kids are busy with education and work. I have been busy with community and public policy issues, along with family, business and Rotary International.

We want to wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays this year. Before we know it, we will be into 2012 and another Iowa Caucus will be in the books.

Our thoughts and prayers are especially with those traveling, ill, homeless, encountering violence, struggling, alone, under or unemployed this Holiday Season. We hope 2012 brings about a better community dialogue on a issues requiring attention. We need to turn the direction America is headed. The 2012 Presidential process, along with the Local, State and Federal elections will be very important for the direction our Republic and how America interacts with the World as a whole.

The changing of the seasons: Thanksgiving to Christmas, Football to Basketball, Autumn to Winter ...

We witnessed the end of the College Football regular season on Saturday. Sport is always bitter sweet. Someone has to win and on the flip side, someone has to lose. Fans, often get restless, when their team they follow isn't performing up to the standards expected.

Will patience and hard work achieve the right outcome down the road?

We often learn most in life from our loses, our failures and our mistakes. There are more important things in life to be thankful for, than the win-loss record of our local team. After all, sport is only a game, but the experience of playing a team sport can help build character for the future ahead.

Over the past three months, we have enjoyed watching a variety of sports.

• George Washington High School sports, especially prep football


• Opening kickoff of the Green Bay Packers was outstanding! Some good games to date!


• The Washington Warriors win @ Linn-Mar in playoff football game brought great joy!


• Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska and a variety of college football games (Note: UNI plays Friday on ESPN in the FCS playoffs). There were plenty of highs and lows this season. Enjoyed the fellowship of the Alabama-LSU game party with friends!


• Enjoyed the Creighton men's basketball season getting off to a great start, with a solid win @ UAB, the win over Iowa at Wells Fargo in Des Moines and being in the house for the solid win over Campbell on Black Friday at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

After enjoying season tickets, since 1974, with my parents; then, Carole and I decided to not renew our tickets to the University of Iowa. It was odd at first, but it was nice to focus on work and home a little bit more on football Saturdays. I was pleased to attend the Iowa-MSU game, with some old high school day friends. I have enjoyed watching the Green Bay Packers get off to a strong start in 2011.

Our Rotary Club has moved to a new location in 2011. In November, just before Thanksgiving, we enjoyed another joint Rotary Club meeting. Rotary International President (2010-2011) and Rotary Foundation President (2011-2012) Ray Klinginsmith as our Joint Rotary keynote speaker. I continued to volunteer at Rotary Pribyl Junior Boys Golf Tournament this year. One of our joint projects that our Metro Rotary Clubs perform. On Monday meeting of the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids will feature, our District Governor Jim Patton.

On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I and others spoke at the City Council meeting in Cedar Rapids, on the upcoming proposed public hearing and first reading. On Tuesday, a Public Hearing will be held on a recommended complete revision of Chapter 69, Civil Rights code for our community. Congress did not pass Lawful Sources of Income, as a protected class, out of committee. Constitutional issues and property right issues have been mentioned, as a reason. We would recommend all residential property owners in Cedar Rapids listen and learn about this issue and the impact it will have on their rights, if passed in the current form. Letters are flowing into the City Clerk's office on this issue.

The Gazette should learn that the State of California considers the Lawful Sources of Income issue as a "protected characteristic" and the State of California has reversed the language, as a "protected class" per I.L. "Tommy" Tucker, a long-term Civil Rights Commission member in Cedar Rapids and my father. The term "protected characteristic" is likely not found in Iowa Code, so this issue may be more appropriate at the State level, rather than local.

Why Should Lawful Sources of Income become a Protected Class in our community?

The U.S. Constitution, the Iowa State Constitution and the City Charter of Cedar Rapids[pdf] are important references, when we have a community conversation. We are hopeful that our City Council members will be prudent and ask the Civil Rights Commission on Chapter 69 to go back to the community for amendments and rework. The City Council will discuss this matter at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at a Public Hearing during the Council Meeting for December 6Th.