Misguided anti-meth bill has regressive, anti-art, anti-business impacts

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 Christine Hawes

Add yet another Republican-driven, over-reaching, and misinformed piece of legislation to the Iowa Legislature’s list of bad ideas this year: a 40 percent tax on glass pipes, plus several more increased costs and licensures. Proposed under the guise of slowing the damage of highly addictive methamphetamine, the bill if passed would instead hurt hundreds of small businesses across the state, opponents say. They predict it would drive out the glass art industry altogether, and further marginalize Iowa in the budding cannabis industry as states around Iowa move toward embracing the…

Groups ramp up, seek help, to fight Iowa’s anti-LGBTQ bills

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 Christine Hawes

DES MOINES — If you’d like to join the fight against a rash of anti-LGBTQ bills proposed by Republican state legislators this year, two of Iowa’s leading civil rights groups are providing three chances to get involved within the next week. “Moral Mondays Iowa: The State That Loves to Hate” will feature State Rep. Liz Bennett, D-Cedar Rapids, and leaders of Iowa Safe Schools and One Iowa Action. They’ll educate Iowans Monday on the 14 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year in the Iowa State Legislature. Then, on Wednesday, the One…

Progressive businesses across Iowa buck #COVIDKim, recommit to facial coverings

February 9, 2021April 5, 2021 Christine Hawes

IOWA — Progressive and LGBTQ-identified establishments across Iowa are making their distaste for “#COVIDKim” known by firmly reminding customers: masks and facial coverings, and other common-sense efforts to fight the still-raging coronavirus pandemic, will be followed with or without the governor’s leadership. Entities from Orange City to Des Moines to Iowa City to Davenport are using social media to defy Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision late last week to end Iowa’s formal coronavirus prevention efforts as of Sunday. More than a dozen entities — many of them LGBTQ-identified bars — are…

“Basic ethical principle that is equally good for everyone” is focus of two-parter

January 14, 2021March 1, 2021 Christine Hawes

Please partake of the information in this two-part attempt to close out The Real MainStream‘s commentary and analysis on the topics covered below! It’s been a tough conversation, but one focused (as the “Careless Whispers” blog states) on “a basic ethical principle that is equally good for everyone, including you.” Links provided: “Iowa City, Put Down Those Pitchforks:” Original Jan. 9 editorial Also, for broader context about The Real MainStream, here are links to other recent articles about other topics: • “Kindness Queers,” “queerantine kits” provide relief to LGBTQIA youth…

Konnexion controversy: Just the facts!

January 13, 2021January 15, 2021 Christine Hawes

UPDATED JAN. 15: See end of piece for additional Fact #7 We’ll keep this brief: Facts only! Below are six essential facts that hopefully put the Konnexion controversy to bed, once and for all. In addition, we are blanking out the names of all posters in these screen shots, to protect their privacy and to shield them from undue embarrassment. #1: Stucker shared her actual reason for being in Washington, D.C., in a text with her friend three days before the insurrection. “I’m going on my own to protest the…

EDITORIAL: Iowa City, let go of your witch hunt ways

January 9, 2021January 10, 2021 Christine Hawes

I love how the universe works. Just the other day, over the holidays, I took the time to watch “Richard Jewell.” It’s a movie about the over-zealous, low-self-esteem, naive 30-ish guy whose unusual personal views left him the perfect target to be accused of the 1996 Olympic Park bombing from which he actually saved scores of people. Jewell was manipulated by law enforcement and mistreated by the media; the very cops he idolized and cared for turned on him publicly as an easy scapegoat. We have a slight parallel developing…

Fresh Feel Fade team brings family feel to contemporary style

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 Christine Hawes

IOWA CITY – When Johanna Lopez-Velador began receiving chemotherapy in November and needed to accept the temporary loss of all her hair, she knew where to turn. Johanna and her wife Karla immediately texted Angie Corbin and Molly Quast at Fresh Feel Fade Salon and Spa, where they’d been clients for three years. Corbin handled the administrative side, finding an immediate opening somewhere in the packed schedule of her wife Molly Quast, the haircut and color guru behind Fresh Feel Fade. On the big day, Lopez-Velador said, Quast gently walked…

Iowa City’s Trumpet Blossom finds new ways to support local groups

December 10, 2020December 28, 2020 Christine Hawes

trumpet blossom giving to corridor community action network this week

IOWA CITY — Fresh off of unprecedented recognition in Little Village’s CRANDIC awards, Trumpet Blossom Cafe is focusing anew on supporting others. Starting the first week of December, Iowa City’s only all-vegan cafe began donating 10 percent of sales of its “Take & Bake” weekly menu to a community group in eastern Iowa. This week’s recipient is the Domestic Violence Intervention Program. Last week’s beneficiary was Corridor Community Action Network (CCAN), formed in 2019 to help connect nonprofit groups with each other, volunteers, donors and those in need. CCAN will…

TRM BEHIND THE SCENES: An evolving eastern Iowa through the lens of LV’s CRANDIC

December 8, 2020December 29, 2020 Christine Hawes

IOWA CITY — Our worlds are changing so quickly — and one great illustration of that is the Third Annual Best of the CRANDIC from Little Village Mag, just announced last week to celebratory social media fanfare throughout the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. Even though the CRANDIC awards are presented by “another” publication, honoring them is a worthwhile effort. • To honor Little Village Mag by recognizing its CRANDIC awards is to pay homage to a respected ancestor, in a way. LV has been publishing since 2001, though these awards…

Spacious new Cedar Rapids home for ReAlive Metaphysical following derecho damage

November 29, 2020December 28, 2020 Guest Writer

CEDAR RAPIDS — A new home for ReAlive Metaphysical means more space inside and outside for a safer shopping experience, says owner Korrina Dawson. The longtime metaphysical store now has 2,300 square feet and is part of a storefront parking lot with more than 20 spaces. ReAlive was forced to relocate when the August derecho destroyed the roof of its Marion location. Its new location on Cedar Rapids’ southwest side is pulling strong business, Dawson says. Before relocating, ReAlive had to close for about six weeks while it figured out…