It would be natural to look at the volume of housing being developed in downtown Davenport and infer some coordinated process or a major new incentive program. Roughly 300 market-rate apartments are either recently finished or in the development process.

There's undoubtedly a trend here. The Downtown Davenport Partnership - part of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce - noted in its strategic plan from earlier this year that "nearly 100,000 square feet of office space is currently planned for conversion to residential units."

That includes 11 different projects from seven different developers.

And while the Downtown Davenport Partnership has been a key player, its director - Kyle Carter - said his organization's role has been to "help guide that process. Not own it, guide it. ...

"We always give advice when these developers are shopping," he said. "But the vast majority of those plans are developer-driven. If anything, I'm the tour guide. I'm the guy that is showing the buffet of options down here. So I will certainly push for projects that I think are more catalytic, or locations that will have bigger benefits for the whole down here."

In other words, local government, a downtown organization, or a plan with the scale or taxpayer cost of River Renaissance isn't behind this housing boom. It's largely happening on its own.

Come to the Market and enjoy the best the QCA has to offer!

Peppers add a splash of color and a wonderful exciting taste to salads, pastas, soups, sauces and stews.  Don't forget to add some to fresh tomatoes and make your own homemade salsa.

Seedless watermelons are so good we put them in two newsletters.

Be sure to bring the kids, they love the playground,bounce house and clowns.  You will love the outdoor fresh air, great foods and healthy choices.  Make it a Market day for the whole family.  Admission and fun is always free!

The corn was knee high by the 4th of July and now its as high as an elephants eye! Come down and enjoy some fresh roasted corn here at the market or take home a dozen or two and enjoy all week.

Jessica Hernandez had a good story to tell about being signed by the venerable jazz label Blue Note Records. She canceled a meeting with the company's president in New York, and instead had him fly to Detroit to hear her in a loft space she created above her family's bakery.

She got a record deal.

That was a few years ago, and recently her tale turned more typical. Warner Music Group acquired the label from Universal (a deal that was finalized in July), and Hernandez - who had been working on her debut album - found herself in the classic music-industry lurch.

The pleasing Americana music and nimble, emotive vocals of Caroline Rose's "America Religious" - the title track from her debut album - mask massive amounts of meaning. Perhaps more accurately, they mask a lot of words whose meaning you're left to decipher for yourself.

Take this line, which Rose said she's frequently asked about: "America religious, I eat slices of white privilege processed by agri-business."

"What I want people to get out of that line and the song in general is discussion about what race relations are like, and what things like immigration reform mean today, and agribusiness," she said in a recent phone interview promoting her July 30 performance at the River Music Experience.

That didn't clear things up much, did it?

"I don't really care what people think that it means," she said. "As long as they're talking about it, I think it's great."

Based on America Religious, Rose certainly bears discussion. The music is varied, compelling, and sharp in its genre, with "Here Come the Rain" a standout in texture, arrangement, and vocal performance.

But the lyrics are what leap out.