Little Village Mag

05/02/2022

Field to Family's online farmers market returns in May, with a new schedule and pick-up location - Little Village

Field to Family 's online farmers market is now live for 2022. The website will be open for orders from 8 a.m. on Mondays through noon on Tuesdays. Orders will be ready for pick up on Thursdays at Field to Family new location at Pepperwood Plaza.

Field to Family’s online farmers market is returning in May, offering a wide variety of locally grown food just as it has before. “Sweet corn, greens, apples, radishes — we’re going to have it all,” Field to Family Executive Director [...]Read More...

04/29/2022

'Gone but not forgotten': Iowa City commemorates 68 workers who died last year in Iowa - Little Village

Among the 68 Iowans who died of workplace-related causes in 2021, 35 died of COVID-19, though this figure is considered vastly underreported.

Two were Coralville residents. John Demarco, 73, contracted COVID-19 while working as a football coach for Regina High School. Bart Mason, 52, contracted COVID while serving as the director of teaching and learning for the Grant Woods Area Education Agency.

For Workers’ Memorial Day on Thursday, union-sponsored events across Iowa sought to “put a human face and name” to the 68 Iowans who died while at work in 2021. “Every worker on this list has a story, a family and [...]Read More...

04/28/2022

What medieval drawing accurately describes your weekend plans?

04/28/2022

Weekender CRANDIC! Indie Bookstore Day, Taste of Jazz, May Day - Little Village

It’s gonna be May! But before we get there, April closes out on Saturday with Independent Bookstore Day. Take the opportunity to stop by one of your local favorites while you’re out and about enjoying a fantastic weekend of events.

READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium It’s gonna be May! But before we get there, April closes out on Saturday with Independent Bookstore Day. Take the opportunity to stop [...]Read More...

04/28/2022

Grab a camera - the City Nature Challenge is coming to Iowa City for the first time - Little Village

Between Friday and Monday, Iowa Citians are encouraged to get outside and photograph as much flora and fauna as possible. While cities compete to see who can collect the most photos, researchers everywhere win.

“I hope we get enough participation that we might see that there are plants growing in Iowa City that we didn’t know were here, or a species of bird or frog," said Beth MacKenzie of the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment.

What began as a way for scientists to tap into the (mostly) friendly rivalry between Los Angeles and San Francisco is now an international event, and this year Iowa City is joining the City Nature Challenge. The challenge is open [...]Read More...

04/27/2022

Jill Dodds resigns from Coralville City Council following husband's arrest for 'a horrible crime he didn’t commit' - Little Village

“The mayor’s called for my resignation and the mayor pro tem concurs,” Jill Dodds said at Tuesday's meeting, adding that she's disappointed her colleagues "didn’t stand up for my freedom and my rights" amid "scathing" headlines about her husband's arrest last week on two counts of second-degree sexual abuse.

"Guilt is assumed, and apparently spouses bear the assumption of guilt as well.”

Coralville City Councilmember Jill Dodds resigned during Tuesday night’s council meeting, following what she called “false allegations” against her husband for “a horrible crime he didn’t commit.” Jeffrey Dodds was arrested on April 18 by Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies on [...]Read ...

04/27/2022

Good Morning Midnight's Charlie Cacciatore knew he 'made it' when he snagged a job at Record Collector - Little Village

“Working there has been a huge influence on me, but more importantly, I think when I moved to Iowa City, I was really looking for community," said the Good Morning Midnight frontman about Record Collector, and the music producers, performers and fans that keep it open.

“Honestly, sometimes working there is like being a therapist."

“I went to Catholic school in Des Moines, and I guess my way of rebelling was to be a total snob about records,” said Good Morning Midnight frontman Charlie Cacciatore. “Some people are in debate and others play tennis, and [...]Read More...

04/27/2022

Interview with Sara Terry, director of "A Decent Home"

The new documentary “A Decent Home” tells the story of mobile home park residents, including those in North Liberty’s Golfview, as they try to preserve their communities and their homes after the parks are bought by private equity funds and other investors determined to maximize profits at their expense. Ahead of its sold-out screening at FilmScene, director Sara Terry sat down with Little Village to discuss “A Decent Home,” and what she learned during the six-and-a-half years she worked on the film.

04/26/2022

Elizabeth Moen ft. Living Thing - Studio Apartment

Elizabeth Moen and Living Thing perform "Studio Apartment" at the Englert Theatre on April 22, 2022.

04/25/2022

Nonprofit Matthew 25 opens affordable grocery store in Cedar Rapids food desert - Little Village

Free-to-cheap groceries, meals and household supplies can be found in the new Cultivate Hope Corner Store in northwest CR, whose grand opening Wednesday marks a victory for food access.

Matthew 25 Executive Director Clint Twedt-Ball said the community "stepped up" to make the store a reality. "We raised $1.4 million over the course of a year.”

The grand opening of Matthew 25’s new Cultivate Hope Corner Store will take place this Wednesday, April 27 in Cedar Rapids. The Corner Store is a nonprofit endeavor, providing healthy food in a local food desert — an area of [...]Read More...

04/23/2022

Claiming Biden's border policies are 'destroying our country,' Gov. Reynolds joins a new 'strike force' - Little Village

Gov. Reynolds has joined 25 other Republican governors in the newly created American Governors Border Strike Force, citing the federal government's "disastrous border policies."

Last July, the governor spent $300,000 in state funds to send 28 Iowa State Patrol members to participate in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, the purported achievements of which are the subject of investigation.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has joined 25 other Republican governors in the newly created American Governors Border Strike Force that was announced on Wednesday. Despite the dramatic-sounding name and some overheated rhetoric from Reynolds in a written statement about it on [...]Read More...

04/22/2022

Congratulations to the Iowa authors and illustrator behind 'Begin with a Bee'!

"With bee populations at risk, the value of teaching children about them at a young age is clear. And this book does that with charm and aplomb," Genevieve Trainor wrote in a review of the book last year: bit.ly/3EBPSqh

04/21/2022

Iowa City Farmers Market announces its start date, reduction in hours - Little Village

The Wednesday market has been canceled, not because of a lack of public interest, according to the city, but because it “has seen a steady decline in vendors over the last 10 years."

Face coverings won't be required at the market this season.

The Iowa City Farmers Market will open for business this year in the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 7. But unlike previous years, when the next session would be on Wednesday, market enthusiasts will have to [...]Read More...

04/21/2022

'This has been a nightmare': Why the Easter Bunny was listed as prosecutor in hundreds of Iowa court cases - Little Village

Clark Kauffman at the Iowa Capital Dispatch explored an odd phenomenon in the state's public court records—one that appeared to show a flourishing career in prosecution for the Easter Bunny and a slew of felonies committed by Santa Claus.

The Easter Bunny is representing the prosecution in several hundred Polk County criminal cases. At least that’s what Iowa Courts Online, the court system’s official, statewide web-based repository of court records, indicates. On April 4, the online docket sheets for [...]Read More...

04/21/2022

Remembering the Iowa Cow War, 90 years later - Little Village

Today's obscure holiday is the feast of St. Beuno, patron saint of diseased cattle.

Iowa could have used some cow-curing miracles in the 1930s, when a bovine tuberculosis outbreak sparked a rash of anti-government conspiracy theories.

From 2021:

The War on Meat (2021 edition) may just be a Republican talking point, but 90 years ago, National Guard troops armed with literal rifles and bayonets were deployed against cattle farmers in eastern Iowa in what became known as the [...]Read More...

04/21/2022

WEEKENDER CRANDIC! Earth Day, Elizabeth Moen, Art in the Afternoon - Little Village

Earth Day is upon us, and this weekend’s offerings are proof positive of the bumper sticker-ism that the earth without art is just eh. Enjoy a plentitude of film, theater, music, poetry and more as you celebrate how lucky we are to all exist together on this planet.

READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly curated compendium Earth Day is upon us, and in addition to several targeted events (see our collection for a broader listing!), this weekend’s offerings are proof [...]Read More...

04/20/2022

Coralville Farmers Market changing days and location - Little Village

The Coralville Farmers Market is shifting to a different area of the Iowa River Landing this season. IRL has hosted it since 2020, when the city turned over management of the market to a real estate company.

The Coralville Farmers Market will no longer be on Mondays when it kicks off its 21-week season next month. Instead, the market’s sessions will be every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. starting on May 18. The market is also [...]Read More...

04/20/2022

Killy the kestrel, free music and the Mount Trashmore Challenge: EcoFest returns to Cedar Rapids - Little Village

Raptors, rock bands, and the opportunity to climb (the equivalent of) Mount Everest will be offered at Cedar Rapids' first live EcoFest since 2019.

The outdoor event takes place this Friday—Earth Day! 🌎🌿

Birds of prey, live music and hikes up Mount Trashmore are coming to Cedar Rapids on Saturday for EcoFest 2022, an Earth Day celebration to promote individual, community and worldwide action to achieve sustainability. The event is back in-person after [...]Read More...

04/20/2022

4/20 in 2022: Iowa GOP leaders entertaining 'no discussion whatsoever' on marijuana reform - Little Village

Three in four Iowans believe the state's bottom-ranked medical marijuana program should be expanded; half of Iowans favor full legalization, according to a 2021 Iowa Poll. But Rep. Steve Holt, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said lawmakers don’t “govern based on opinion polls," and opposes reform.

Democrat Senator Joe Bolkcom rebuked Republicans' inaction, saying in March, “You should tell Iowans why you don’t trust them to have legal access to marijuana like tens of millions of other Americans."

More than a year after an Iowa Poll showed 54 percent of Iowans favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use and 78 percent want to see the state’s Medical Cannabidiol Program expanded, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Republicans who control the [...]Read More...

04/19/2022

LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library finds a new home at the Close House - Little Village

“Queer history matters. And the minutiae of everyday life in Iowa matters,” said archive executive director Aiden Bettine. “It gives LGBTQ youth, and people who are newly coming out, proof that we've always been here, and that we've always existed, and that we've always found ways to survive, regardless of what's happening politically or culturally.”

Take a look inside the new LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library, complete with reading nook:

The LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library opened the doors to its new home on the second floor of the Close House on April 9. With large, sunny windows, a reading nook and a children’s area, the space will allow for [...]Read More...

04/18/2022

'They need a place, we have land': Church donates property for major Coralville Community Food Pantry expansion - Little Village

The Coralville Community Food Pantry broke ground on a new facility that will double their space: for food storage, for events and for innovative features like "edible landscaping."

The project was made possible by an unprecedented land donation from the Coralville United Methodist Church. "We don’t have a lot of money to give as a church, but we do have that," Rev. Leigh Brown said.

“All of this could not be happening at a more opportune or critical time,” John Boller said at the groundbreaking ceremony held for the Coralville Community Food Pantry’s new building at the Coralville United Methodist Church on Thursday. Boller, the [...]Read More...

04/18/2022

How a Cedar Rapids strip mall brought town and country together - and stood the test of time - Little Village

When Cedar Rapids' Town & Country Shopping Center opened in 1956, it was a "really radical" concept, according to historian Mark Hunter, made viable by a nationwide boom in car ownership.

Though malls are now an endangered species, the legendary strip mall—home to mainstay RG Books, a new Fareway and a bowling alley mystery—has found ways to adapt and survive.

Anyone living in Cedar Rapids or Marion has more than likely found themselves needing to get to the other, and, most likely, has made the trip by way of First Avenue. On their way, they’ve probably seen an unassuming strip [...]Read More...

04/15/2022

Five questions with Fashion is Murder zine creator Kane Edwards - Little Village

Zines aren't dead!

The new 'Fashion is Murder' launches tonight at Trumpet Blossom Cafe (the drink special: Miller High Life served in plastic champagne glasses). According to zine DJ/CEO Kane Edwards, "Expect lots of silliness and cat obsession."

The first issue of Iowa City DIY fashion zine Fashion Is Murder is about to drop, and it’s got the party of the season to back it up. Before tonight’s release party, I asked DJ CEO of Fashion is Murder, [...]Read More...

04/15/2022

Looking forward to the Stanley: An inside tour - Little Village

The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art is back, and even though the galleries are still virtually empty, a first-look tour of the three-story, state-of-the-art space is enough to stir art and museum nerds' excitement.

Little Village took a look inside:

After 14 years, the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art is back and almost ready for its Aug. 26 opening. As someone who has only lived in Iowa City without this museum, and as an art historian by training, [...]Read More...

04/15/2022

North Liberty bans smoking and vaping in all city parks - Little Village

North Liberty's chock full of parks, trails and ponds. And as of this week, they're all officially smoke-free.

Johnson County Public Health applauded the city council's decision.

The North Liberty City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to ban the use of nicotine and tobacco products at city parks, trails, ponds and ballfields. North Liberty’s 20 parks include the 50-year-old Beaver Kreek Park, the Gooselake designated wetland area, [...]Read More...