Volunteers at the fifth-annual Xstream Cleanup on Saturday, August 16, removed 142,566 pounds of debris from area waterways, illegal dumping sites, and flood-ridden areas. Cleanups were held at 39 locations in Bettendorf, Davenport, and LeClaire, Iowa, and Colona, East Moline, Milan, Moline, Rock Island, and Silvis, Illinois. More than 1,300 volunteers worked nearly 4,200 hours and collectively gathered 2,187 bags of trash, 2,416 tires, 36 appliances, and 54 bicycles. This represented 75,180 pounds of trash, 63,444 pounds of tires, 2,700 pounds of appliances, and 1,242 pounds of bicycles. Full statistics, a list of items removed, and photos of cleanups can be viewed at XstreamCleanup.org.

The Beaux Arts Fair will be held at its new location on the Figge plaza on Saturday, September 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair features 73 exhibitors from several states working in painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, jewelry, and crafts. Admission is free to the fair and to the Figge during that weekend. There will be a children's activities tent, and concessions will be sold. For more information, visit BeauxArtsFair.com.

On Wednesday, August 27, the LST-325, a World War II amphibious vessel, will dock in the Quad Cities around 10 a.m. Forty-five-minute self-guided tours of the ship will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Thursday, August 28, to Tuesday, September 2. The ship will dock on the Mississippi River along Ben Butterworth Parkway at River Drive and 25th Street in Moline. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children six to 18, $20 for families, and free for children under six. For more information on the Ship, visit LSTMemorial.org.

Noted urban planner Jeff Speck - the co-author of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl & the Decline of the American Dream - will be visiting Davenport through August 14 and will present his ideas for revitalizing downtown Davenport on Thursday in the Deere Auditorium of the Figge Art Museum. The one-hour presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a meet-and-greet. There is no charge to attend, and the Figge galleries will be open to lecture attendees. "In Thrall of Sprawl," an article about Speck, was published in the River Cities' Reader on July 3, 2007.

The Davenport Public Library is moving forward with plans for an Eastern Avenue Library, to be located at 60th Street and Eastern Avenue in the northeast section of the city. If you would like to share your thoughts, contact Library Director LaWanda Roudebush at (563) 326-7837 or email at ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).