Felicia Carner
Published: April 30, 2009

This past Friday the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps began preparation for their new season by performing a free debut of their show here in Dubuque.

The Colts' official season starts in the beginning of June and goes through most the month of August.

This year their show Fathoms will be hitting the field. It’s an 11 minuet ocean themed show.

Both students and staff are excited for the upcoming season and to reconnect and make new friendships.

Grandma Mary Deschepper has been with the colts since 1997 making this her twelfth year with the ‘family’ community that the Colts create is what keeps Grandma Mary traveling with group.

“They are all such wonderful young men and women and the staff treat us the best,” she commented.

Second year pit player Kyle Barshinger agrees, “I’m not just another member here, I’m a part of the family.”

Barshinger and the rest of his ‘family’ are ready to show the work off to both their audience and their competitors comments, “Be ready for us we are going to come out with a lot of notes and we hope everyone enjoys it.”

Felicia Carner can be reached at felicia.carner@loras.edu

LCTV13’s Phone Interview with Ingrid Evans-Olson, one of the women named in the lawsuit regarding same sex marraige that reached the Iowa Supreme Court.

Q. Who is in your household?
My partner, Reva Evans and our son Jamison Olson.

Q. Where at in Iowa do you and your family currently reside?
Council Bluffs

Q. What is the lawsuit?
It is a case that questioned the justification of denying same-sex couples the right to marry. The lawsuit struck down Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). It was overturned on April 3, 2009, and will grant same-sex couples the same protections, benefits and rights that all other married couples in the state of Iowa receive.

Q.When will the new law, allowing same-sex couples to obtain marriage, be set in stone?
The ruling stated that the decision would be in affect after 21 days. So originally April 24th would be the first day a couple could get a marraige license and get married if they paid the additional $5 fee to waive the waiting period. Normally you have to wait 3 days to get married after requesting a marriage license. However, the dates were postponed because of budget cuts at Iowa courthouses. The earliest day to get a license is Monday April 27.

Q. What is your direct connection to the lawsuit at hand?
Both Reva and I were named in a lawsuit filed in December 2005.

Q. Why did you get involved in the lawsuit?
In November 2005 we asked for a marriage license and we were denied. They told us that Iowa marriage was between a man and a woman and so in December 2005 we filed the lawsuit with five other couples who were also denied a license.

Q. Were there any other reasons for getting involved in this process?
Reva was two months pregnant with our son, Jamison. He deserved to have their parents recognized and ultimately he was the one who really drove us to win this lawsuit. We wanted our family recognized. You do a lot more for your kids than you do for yourselves.

Q. Did you have any doubts of this getting passed?
No, people ask this all the time. We always replied no. We always thought we would win and personally we never questioned it. We have friends who would even say "no it’s not the time or place", but if it is not the time and place than when is it? In September 2007, Judge Robert Hanson said the State of Iowa doesn’t have any substantial reason to deny Iowa same-sex couples the right to marry.

Hugest thing we’ll ever experience. The tears that you might have seen were indescribable. The fiber of your being was just overwhelming with everything that happened on Friday. I was grateful and thankful for Iowa Supreme Court’s thought out decision. Political ideology was set aside. Justice Cady, an appointee under Republican Governor Terry Branstad, whp more than likely has conservative beliefs interpreted the law for what the law said. This law grants so many things; you can get married, you can add each other to health insurance. Reva and I factored how much we could save in health insurance if given this protection and it totaled $8,500 the year Jamison was born. With the current state of the economy this is a huge amount. Also children in Iowa with gay or lesbian parents can know their kids are going to school in a state that respects all families. This decision encompasses so many things that affect our daily lives.

Q. What were the feelings and thoughts going through your mind?
Just to hear our lead attorney’s first words “We won!” There were cheers and smiles and sighs of release. And when it was announced the vote was unanimous I started crying. I threw my arms up in the utmost happiness. The happiness that overcame our families and coworkers was an indescribable feeling. No words can fit the key hole to the description of this feeling.


Q. Do you personally have plans to get married?
We do but not right away. I’m going to be there at the courthouse but I don’t know if I’ll be there the first day. The first day is going to be chaotic. We want something more peaceful and a little more normal. I was actually looking for availability for reception halls and we’re actively looking and planning. We stood up for how much we needed this and so we are most definitely are going to take advantage of the fact that we can get married.

Q. Since you were one of the six drivers of this law did you experience any additional discrimination?
People were amazing. Regardless of people's views on the Supreme Court's decision people have been very kind. Working with the media has been 100% positive experience. We received congratulations from co-workers and family members. We personally are so grateful for our family that stood behind us. We did not receive much negativity. I don’t know about the other couples day to day. Life has been good because people are good in Iowa and I think the overarching message is in not only is the court ruling but that Iowans are good people.

Q. Since you won your lawsuit do you feel your job is done?
It’s not. This part of our story is over but we really think that Iowa is going to be a leader in this. Like they say with the Iowa Caucuses - " As Iowa goes so goes the nation." Mike Gronstal addressed the senate floor and addressed it from the view of the younger generation. He said the younger generation doesn’t care and they are going to win this in the end. Someday across the nation we are going to look back and say what was the big deal? Our marriage didn’t hurt and did not lessen the value of anyone elses marraige all it did was bring two people together and give them the legal protect ion they never had and never dreamed of having. Iowa is going to lead the country in regard to this civil rights issue.

In an email to LCTV13 Mark Wyatt, the head of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, stated why his organization believes Iowa needs a law protecting cyclists.

The bill has passed one chamber of the legislature and will remain alive through next year.

The important part to note is bicyclists have rights to use the roadways as defined in the Iowa Code 321.234 and affirmed by the Iowa Supreme Court (Vasconz v. Mills 2001). The bicycle safety bill attempted to clarify bicycle in instances where police or prosecutors felt the law was vague. I also think the law clarified passing and following of bicycles which would have made it clear to the motoring public, driver's education classes and the drivers examination. Passage of law or not, there is a lot of work to be done to educate the public and law enforcement about the rights and duties of bicyclists on the roads.

While auto deaths have been dropping, bicycle fatalities have been on the rise with 8 deaths in 2008. Nationally, there are 773 fatal bicycle crashes vs. 42,000 fatal automobile crashes. While we don't have an accurate comparison on vehicle miles traveled, the bicycle seems to be a safe mode of transportation despite it's obvious vulnerabilities.

The bicycle remains a healthy, clean, and green way to travel for transportation. Half of automobile trips are 3 miles or less - the same distance can be covered with a 20 minute bicycle ride at an easy pace. Also, bicycle are a means of transportation for children below 16 years of age. Yet, the CDC estimates in 2001 16% of kids walked or bicycled to school, whereas in 1969 42% of kids walked or bicycled to school. Local trends are matching the national statistic.

Best rides,

Mark Wyatt
Iowa Bicycle Coalition
P.O. Box 572
North Liberty, IA 52317
515-309-2867 office
319-626-6017 fax
319-936-4948 cell
www.iowabicyclecoalition.org
mark@iowabicyclecoalition.org

To read the full story and learn some bicycle safety tips click here to read our story.

Iowa's Supreme Court ruled unanimously today to lift the ban on same sex marriage in the state of Iowa. You can voice your opinion below in our poll and leave comments to this story on your thoughts and feels of the ruling today.