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.