After losing five state Senate seats and ending up on the wrong end of a veto-proof majority, there's bound to be a lot of second-guessing and finger-pointing. But Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson probably did himself no favors by going to Europe for 10 days just a month before the November election.

Kelley Stoltz - "Below the Branches"Kudos go out to Sub Pop Records and its commitment to alternatives to fossil fuels. Earlier this year, the label purchased enough wind-powered Green Tags to be 100-percent Green-e Renewable Energy certified, and it debuted the first-ever "green" album with Kelley Stoltz's Below the Branches. Green Tags financially support the generation of power from renewable sources, and are meant to offset a business' or household's consumption of fossil fuels.

Eastern Iowa Community College District (EICCD) received more than $1.5 million to provide job training for people in the Quad Cities area. These funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Labor's Community Based Job Training Initiative. Although the job-training project was developed specifically for those working in the transportation and warehousing industries, the skills that will be taught are valuable for local workers in several other industries, including health care, food processing, wholesale/retail trade, and office services. These industries employ 45 percent of the Quad Cities area's available workforce. 

 

Best of 2006

Click here to vote. The deadline is January 15, and we'll be conducting weekly drawings from valid ballots for great prizes.

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Remember: You must provide valid answers for at least half the categories for your ballot to be counted.

Reader issue #611 Near Wheatland, Iowa, sits the 200-acre Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. It's roughly a 40-minute drive from the Quad Cities, and in one approach a car will go from a four-lane highway to a two-lane road to a dirt drive.

It's nearly a journey to the past, from the zipping traffic of modern times to a more primitive period, including an old farmhouse.

"Even the approach is a bit of calming, slowing down," said Sister Catherine Real, a retired member of the Davenport-based Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) who volunteers as co-director of Our Lady of the Prairie. The retreat, she said, offers "a sense of God's presence" just a short drive from the urban grind.

"Borat"No one "banned" Borat in Russia. At least, not according to officials of Russia's Federal Agency for Culture & Cinematography. They just "advised" 20th Century Fox that the movie could offend some viewers and contained material that "might seem disparaging in relation to certain ethnic groups and religions." 20th Century Fox has promised to contest that "recommendation," which was accompanied by a denial of a screening license. (What kind of "advice" comes with a prohibition?)

During this season of giving, please remember the many charitable organizations that assist people who are less fortunate. In addition to or in lieu of gifts to friends and family, consider a donation of money or needed items to one of the organizations listed below, or to any group that's trying to improve the community. Also consider volunteering at one these organizations.

On Tuesday, December 5, the Quad Cities lost its only progressive talk-radio station, WKBF 1270 AM. Considering results from the recent elections, there should be a market for progressive-talk programming in the Quad Cities. Is anyone else upset by this loss? Will another radio station pick up the Air America network programs and other progressive-talk shows?

Patti Franklin

Riverdale, Iowa

 

The consensus among insiders seems to be that the departure of Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk this month will mean a less-confrontational administration in the coming years.

Governor Rod Blagojevich has always been someone who thrives on controversy, and Tusk - a young, brash New Yorker - did his level best to keep that spark alive each and every day. Tusk had no history in politics here and never had any intention of ever working in Illinois after he left the administration, so he wasn't all that particular about whose toes he was stepping on. And it showed.

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