September 2019

One of my favorite television programs and repeated Netflix binges, “Parks and Recreation,” illustrates the myriad ways in which small-time politics (the show is set in fictional Pawnee, Indiana) can devolve into little more than constant mudslinging, settling personal scores and carnival barking. I’d generally like to think Iowans, specifically in this area, are better than that, but an interaction I witnessed last week leads me to wonder.
           

To the surprise of few, Republican State Representative Pat Grassley of New Hartford officially announced that he would seek his seventh term in the house this fall and spoke with local reporters about the decision on Monday afternoon.
           
“I think that I’m in a pretty good position being chair of the appropriations committee. At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that I have a lot of opportunities here,” he said. “I feel like it’s what I’m best suited for, and that’s why I made the decision to run again.”
           

The Felix Grundy Days committee has booked one of the most popular cover bands in Iowa for this year’s festival, and according to chairwoman Mindy Greany, the Cedar Falls-based Pork Tornadoes are indicative of a larger push to attract more patrons to the downtown area in early July.
           
“In order for us to keep having great festivals, we have to keep bringing in bigger, better bands for Saturday night,” she said. “If we keep improving our Saturday night entertainment, we can keep making Felix better each year.”