Game Day Ron

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FOR IOWA CITY'S NOTORIOUS GAME DAY SALESMAN, RON CHRISTENSEN, HIS BUSINESS MODEL WAS FOUNDED ON HIS INCREDIBLE INVENTING INTUITION. FROM A REGULAR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER TO HAWKEYE BUSINESS MAN, RON COULDN'T COMPLETELY PULL AWAY FROM HIS INVENTING WAYS OR HAWKEYE DEDICATION, EVEN POST RETIREMENT.

Ron Christensen left Iowa City with a mechanical engineering degree and plans to pursue car part inventing. Years later he transitioned into a retirement stocked full of black and gold, literally.

"Instead of retiring when I sold Purathane I decided to kick Game Day Iowa into gear."

His sudden career swap stemmed from the stadium seat cushion he invented and patented more than 15 years ago.

"In Iowa City I went to the University of Iowa and am actually a Mechanical Engineer which is a little different when you figure I am running a retail store, but again I spend my days meeting and visiting with Hawkeye fans and it's a lot of fun."

But his quirky inventions didn't stop at Hawkeye merchandise Christensen went on to patten his own line of shaving products in 2009, but his own razor is set to be released later this month.

Christensen says his product is simple to use and entirely green. The consumer stores the razor in his patented oil product blocking water from rusting and corroding the blade, which keeps the water off the blade and allows it to last for over 300 shaves.

But, at the end of the day it's still all about Iowa. Christensen even hires UI business students to do the marketing for his shavers.

"You know I've been there for an hour, two hours after class because they're hungry for knowledge they have a lot of questions and they want to know what's going on in the real world and that interchange, it's a lot of fun and it's very helpful for me too.. to help keep my engine going."

Katie Stinson, Daily Iowa TV.

ECO Fair Package 3

GOING GREEN IS ALL THE BUZZ. LAST SATURDAY THE IOWA CITY FARMERS MARKET WRAPPED UP ITS FIVE MONTH SEASON WITH THE CITY'S FIRST EVER ECO FAIR, AN ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. REGULARS OF THE SATURDAY MARKET MAY BE SAD THE PRODUCE SEASON IS OVER, BUT THESE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FOLKS WALKED AWAY WITH A PLETHORA OF GREEN INFORMATION. KATIE STINSON HAS THE STORY.

For some, Saturdays aren't just about Hawkeye Football, they're about giving back and protecting the community too.

"You know people are really excited about recycling about things like salvaging old materials at the salvage barn, salvaging materials through the re-store, there are just a ton of groups here today who are, who are helping people do even better things environmentally."

Despite the cold weather, hundreds of people came out to 2010's last market, not only to support local foods, but to participate in an environmental extravaganza, equipped with thirteen green information booths, handouts and environmentally friendly products.

"I think it's wonderful that a, you people are are teaching a some of us things...that we don't don't know, how to dispose of some things that are harmful to the environment."

"I think that at the farmers market here people are looking for things that are local, are a healthy, um to take care of their families and that's green. I think it's an awesome way to wrap up the farmer's market season, to have an Eco Fair and actually we are talking about having a presence here more than just the end of the year... next year."

Katie Stinson, Daily Iowan TV.

THE OUTDOOR FARMERS MARKET SEASON MAY BE OVER, BUT THE CITY WILL BE HOSTING TWO HOLIDAY MARKETS FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE GREEN INITIATIVES PRESENT AT SATURDAY'S ECO FAIR OR EVEN PARTICIPATE, CONTACT IOWA CITY'S RECYCLING COORDINATOR JENNIFER JORDAN THROUGH THE CITY OF IOWA CITY'S WEBSITE.

Smoking

IOWA CITY SMOKING VIOLATIONS ARE GOING CRIMINAL. THOSE WHO RECEIVE A SMOKING CITATION FROM POLICE WILL NOW FACE A CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR INSTEAD OF A CIVIL INFRACTION. ALTHOUGH THIS CHANGE CARRIES A CHEAPER FINE, IT COULD MEAN AN INCREASE IN SMOKING CITATIONS IN DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY. DAILY IOWAN TV’s KATIE STINSON HAS THE DETAILS.

Downtown Iowa City’s Tobacco Bowl is a safe haven for smokers being the only establishment in
downtown Iowa City where indoor smoking is permitted. But take a couple steps outside the bowl and suddenly you’re facing a $50 fine on top of newly imposed criminal charges.

At last week’s Iowa City City Council meeting councilor’s approved changing the city’s smoking violation from a civil to criminal offense. Violators will now see a cheaper fine of $50, but also an increase in ticketing since police now only carry one citation pad instead of two.

“This allows them to do it on the same pad they were doing for a PAULA, for jay walking, for whatever else they’re writing tickets for downtown, and so I think that’s a valuable reason. So now we may see more smoking tickets being given out.”

Police say the old civil penalty process was confusing and inefficient. Offenders could even refuse their smoking citation, but now that the offense is criminal police can make smoking arrests and the city pays less to cite.

“There’s also filing fees associated with that that the city incurred. So, in order for us to cite someone we actually were paying to cite people.”

This year, police have issued only 19 smoking citations but are hopeful the new criminal process will help them to more efficiently curtail smoking. Katie Stinson, Daily Iowan TV.