On Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the River Music Experience, the City of Davenport is hosting a "kickoff" meeting that will commence a "public process to design the expansion of LeClaire Park." The city's news release reads: "With the pending departure of the Isle of Capri's Rhythm City gaming operation away from the riverfront, a historic opportunity exists for the community to gather and collectively share ideas to transform the soon-to-be vacated property to uses everyone can enjoy and be proud of." The city claims that no design consultants will be used to "develop the conceptual plans" to expand LeClaire Park. The staff will introduce the project and provide background information and a schedule of upcoming input sessions. The city states: "The project's focus will be to use a community-based, grassroots approach to help the city take the next step in the evolution of its magnificent Mississippi riverfront."

Film incentives in Iowa are likely to become law this legislative session after being approved by a house committee last week.

But it remains an open question how much of a boost House File 411 - which would create three types of incentives for film production in Iowa - would provide to the state's motion-picture industry, and whether the state would benefit financially from the incentives.

The old adage "Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up" characterizes the modus operandi of four Davenport aldermen - Jamie Howard, Charlie Brooke, Ian Frink, and Brian Dumas - and Davenport Mayor Ed Winborn.

It is especially appropriate relative to their collective refusal to submit to the public's demand (and the majority of the council's vote) to leave Thursday's standing-committee meetings intact.

It's not often that someone who worked on a state legislative staff actually wins a campaign for himself, but it happened last week in Chicago.

Former House Democratic staffer Brendan Reilly won his aldermanic race against longtime Chicago Alderman Burton Natarus last week by about nine points, stunning the Chicago political world, which didn't think that Natarus - who joined the city council in 1972 - could be defeated. Reilly silenced the critics by bringing a new level of sophistication to the Chicago political game.