Government Notes: Participate in Bike to Work Week

After kicking off Bike to Work Week last week with a mayoral proclamation and bike ride, Cedar Rapids will continue the week with a slate of events for cyclists.

From 6:45-8:15 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, cyclists can pick up free swag and refreshments at either Collins Aerospace on Blairs Ferry Road NE or the intersection of Second Avenue SE and the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, there will be a Bike to Lunch Business Challenge with food trucks at NewBo City Market. There also will be a Chain Reaction Bike Hub Open House from 4-6 p.m. at the nonprofit’s 1010 Third Ave. SW location. Group rides depart from Greene Square every half hour between 4-5:30 p.m.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Linn County Ride of Silence will honor those who were injured or killed in cycling accidents across the nation. The ride will start and end at the former Marion Public Library lot across from City Square Park in Marion, then travel on busier streets in Cedar Rapids and Marion with a police escort.

There will be a Bike to Work Week Rodeo from 4-6 p.m. Thursday at the Geonetric Parking Lot, 415 12th Ave. SE. The Hawkeye Bicycle Association and Linn County Trails Association host the hands-on event providing safety checks and riding skills to young cyclists. Additionally, there will be a Meet Me at the Market Bike Ride at 6 p.m. at NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE.

Finally, Cedar Rapids will conclude Bike to Work Week with Handlebar Happy Hour at the Sag Wagon, 827 Shaver Rd. NE, from 5-7 p.m. Friday. Prizes awarded for completed BINGO cards on a first-come, first-served basis. Bingo cards available at cityofcr.com\BikeCR.

Event updates and weather cancellations are available at cityofcr.com/BikeCR.

Marion will officially kick off Bike to Work Week activities on Tuesday with a Bike to Lunch Challenge. Participants may bike with their co-workers to a Marion lunch spot and post photos on social media.

Wednesday’s event will be the Ride of Silence with Cedar Rapids.

The city will host the Pedal Marion Ride at 6 p.m. Thursday. This ride will begin and end in the former Marion Public Library lot. The nine-mile loop throughout Marion will include some stops along the way, followed by a Helmets and Hops social gathering in the Uptown Artway.

On Friday, residents may participate in National Bike to Work Day by sharing and posting their bike-to-work journey on social media.

“The Marion trail system brings life, vitality and connectivity to our community,” Marion Parks and Recreation Director Seth Staashelm, the Marion Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee chair, said in a statement. “We encourage community members to participate in the activities planned for Bike to Work Week and enjoy a deeper appreciation for the natural world around us.”

Linn County Elections Office adopts conduct standards

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Linn County Auditor Joel Miller announced last week that the Linn County Elections Office has adopted official Standards of Conduct reinforcing its approach to conducting elections with transparency, integrity and fairness.

The standards are a public commitment to upholding the law and U.S. Constitution, providing equal opportunities to all eligible voters, ensuring elections are conducted impartially and taking other steps to uphold public confidence in free and fair elections.

“... These principles are more important than ever during the 2024 election cycle,” Miller said in a statement. “These Standards of Conduct are not new, but a reiteration and reinforcement of the standards for which we have always applied to our elections.”

Nationwide, election officials are preparing for record levels of voter participation and to ensure the 2024 election is conducted with fairness and integrity and to ensure a fair and accurate count.

The standards were developed by the Institute for Election Administration Research & Practice and the Election Center, also known as the National Association of Election Officials — the premier nonpartisan, nationwide organization for training and certification of election and voter registration administrators.

Principles outlined in the Standards of Conduct include:

Visit Linn County’s website at LinnCountyIowa.gov/Vote for information about elections in Linn County.

Johnson County engineer wins national award

The National Association of County Engineers (NACE) awarded Johnson County Engineer Greg Parker, P.E., the 2024 Urban County Engineer of the Year Award during its Annual Conference earlier this month. Parker has served as Johnson County Engineer since 2005.

“We are very proud of Greg Parker, and very pleased that NACE chose to honor him with this prestigious national award,” said Rod Sullivan, chairman of the county’s board of supervisors. “Johnson County has always taken great pride in our roads, and we are lucky to have someone of Greg’s caliber running the show. “

Parker and the Johnson County Secondary Roads Department are responsible for 950 miles of county highways and 213 bridges and infrastructure.

“Greg has exemplified the very best of our association for many years, I can think of no more deserving candidate to receive this honor,” said Stephen McCall, P.E., P.S., NACE President and Champaign County, Ohio, County Engineer.

In its 68th year, NACE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association representing more than 3,000 county engineers, public works directors, highway commissioners, road managers, and related professionals in the United States and Canada.

Bridge rehabilitation project to begin on Springville Road

A bridge rehabilitation project started last week on Springville Road north of Mount Vernon over Abbe Creek.

Springville Road will be closed to all traffic starting this week. A detour will be posted for this project. Work is expected to last five weeks.

Motorists are asked to comply with all traffic signs around construction projects and not to drive around the barricades in place to protect the public and road crews.

Cedar Rapids Library summer reading challenge

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The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites community members of all ages to participate in the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge.

A celebration of the love of reading, the challenge will run from June 1 to July 27. Participants can enjoy special events and log reading minutes to earn free books and prizes.

The Summer Reading Challenge is designed to help the community counter summer slide by encouraging children to read and giving caregivers tools to make reading fun. Lack of reading during the summer causes students to lose up to two months of reading development. Summer reading is a critical requirement to keep kids on track and their brains engaged.

Adults are also encouraged to participate, with special prizes and events for different age groups. Parents and caregivers can log minutes they read with children.

How to participate:

There will be three grand prizes for each age group, as well as an overall grand prize.

The library also will host special summer events for all ages, including performances for kids, crafts for teens, summer camp for adults and more.

The summer kicks off with a party at Ladd Library, 3750 Williams Blvd. SW, on June 1, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature an inflatable obstacle course, big blue blocks, Giant Jenga and Twister, and a supersized story time at 10 a.m. with Clifford the Big Red Dog. The Summer Reading Challenge will conclude July 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Ren Faire party at the Downtown Library, 450 Fifth Ave. SE.

The library will visit five different parks each week from Monday, June 3 to Friday, Aug. 2. Each stop will feature an all-ages story time at the start of the program, followed by activities, games, and giveaways with our Mobile Technology Lab.

The Summer Reading Challenge is supported by the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, Hills Bank, GreenState Credit Union, The Gazette, and the Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Find all the details at CRLibrary.org/Summer.

CRCSD student-built house being completed

Students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District are completing the 51st house built by the building and trades program this month. The public is invited to celebrate their achievement and view the house Thursday, May 16, from 3:30-6:30 p.m., at 344 Worthington Ct., Hiawatha.

The students spent around 7,600 hours building the 2,350-square-foot home this year. Since its inception in 1972, the Student Built House Program has provided a unique opportunity for students to merge their classroom learning with real-world experiences.

The students get hands-on experience in construction and get to apply what they’ve learned in traditional classes like math, Language Arts and science. They also develop essential life skills such as work ethic, problem-solving and responsibility.

The home is currently listed with Jesse Arp of Skogman Realty.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Marissa Payne and Grace King contribute.