Moline • After a judge struck down the city's truancy ordinance in February, Moline has been unable to prosecute people who skip school. A new truancy ordinance - one that capped at 18 the age at which one could be prosecuted for being absent from school - was offered for consideration on first reading at the city council's April 10 meeting.
Part two of two The press conference last month announcing Davenport's completion of an application to the Vision Iowa program was filled with bold statements. In explaining the name River Renaissance, Davenport Community and Economic Development Director Clayton Lloyd invoked the Renaissance of the 14th and 15th centuries.
Mostly, in this space, we go for laughs. This is a legitimate objective, because everyone needs that cleansing breath of humor after a stop or two on the bus of life, especially when we're the only person behind the yellow line who seems to realize that the driver is a chimpanzee.
Davenport • County Attorney Bill Davis, legal counsel for Mike Meloy, has asked the city council to consider a settlement agreement in executive session after the regular council meeting (4/4) to avoid litigation over the untimely, unprofessional, and highly controversial dismissal of Mike Meloy as city attorney.
All Alderman Brown needs is an ottoman and a pillow during council meetings as he reclines back in his seat, hands behind his head, and appears to be sound asleep. He rarely comments on any of the issues. Yet he is one of four aldermen who have perpetrated destruction upon an individual life at city hall.
If you believe the hype, the futures of entire communities hinge on decisions that will be made in the coming months. For the past year, the board of the state's Vision Iowa program has set rules and procedures and reviewed applications for a big pile of state money that was set aside last year for projects to boost tourism and improve quality of life.
Societies ? you, me, our friends and neighbors, or any folks we find ourselves stuck in traffic or a tax bracket with ? thrive on shared experience. Having something in common is what defines a society, and shared experiences create them ? even small and temporary ones. Who hasn't whooped it up at a baseball game with people we just happened to be sitting next to?

The fruits of a shared experience can be positive even when the experience itself is negative. Some of humanity's most moving moments are when total strangers pull together during a flood or a blackout.

All of which brings us to that shared experience known as: The Economy.

Nothing hits the spot like national prosperity, and most folks had a great time over the last few years watching the stock market "create" wealth, unemployment hover near zero, companies giddily expand. It was one big boom town, with everybody high-fiving each other and racing to buy the next round of drinks.

But, like someone said about the Civil War, they started this one drunk, and they're going to have to settle it sober.

And with each week seeming to bring more layoffs, salary freezes, and disappearing assets, there's plenty of hangover to go around. I got an e-mail recently from a retired man who depended on the go-go market to keep up with his substantial medical expenses. Now, he and his wife don't know how they're going to make it.

All of which would be bad enough if everyone were in the same boat (see "shared experience," above). Americans have weathered recessions, depressions, and assorted panics in the past, with most everyone taking a hit and no one to blame except a run of bad luck, usually temporary.

This time, though, it's starting to look like a few people are doing just fine at the expense of everybody else.

The issue of CEO compensation may be an old thorn, but ? really now ? what's it going to take before shareholders put a stop to the outrageous, multi-million-dollar packages their head guys pull down while they slash thousands of jobs in the interest of "trimming expenses"?

I know, Alex Rodriguez makes $21 million a year. But the difference is, he doesn't take anybody into the batter's box with him. I'd like to see CEOs hit their marks without help from the rank-and-file workers they so blithely lay off.

And if you lost money (or a job) when some skyrocketing tech stock suddenly veered earthward, you'll be interested to know that your experience wasn't necessarily shared with the nice folks who asked you to invest in the first place. According to the Wall Street Journal: "Meet the $100 million club, an elite group of at least 50 insiders at Nasdaq companies who collected immense fortunes. They each sold more than $100 million of stock in their companies....In many cases, these insiders sold near the high points of stocks that have fallen 80 percent, 90 percent, even 99 percent from their peaks....At one company...a single insider collected more money from selling shares during the period than the whole company is worth now."

There was a famous dinner party held during the late 19th Century, at which the wealthy, jaded guests were amused to find their places adorned with sand pails and miniature shovels ? and invited to "dig" for diamonds, rubies, and other souvenir gems before starting in on the soup course. This bit of decadence made news because at the time, a number of America's unlucky 10-year-olds were still digging anthracite out of coal mines.

I'm sure glad those class-conscious days are over.

Copyright 2001 Newrite, Inc. All rights reserved. GLW's on WGN Radio AM 720 and wgnradio.com. Coming soon: newsjunkie.net.
On Monday, March 19, 2001, Davenport aldermen received a memo that stated, "After three years of negotiation and attempting to reach an agreement to renovate John O'Donnell Stadium and to make Minor A baseball successful in Davenport, the City of Davenport and the Quad City River Bandits have agreed that it is in the best interest of both parties to move ahead and go in separate directions.
Rock Island • At a study session on March 26, the Rock Island City Council received a report from the Sylvan Slough Task Force, which is charged with updating a 1989 plan for the area. The new report recommends, among other things, expansion of the Quad City Botanical Center to the area just east of Government Bridge for a children's garden; development of the Sylvan Slough as a "naturalized exhibit (river and woods) and an extension of the Botanical Center"; creation of a "railroad museum" along the Iowa Interstate and Burlington Northern railroad yards; development of a "public access site to the river" in the industrial area behind and to the east of the QCIC plant; and creation of a baseball stadium for Augustana College between 5th and 6th avenues and 39th and 40th streets.
My grandmother passed a year ago March 27, 2000, but it seems like last week. I am amazed at how intense the memories still are, and of course the pain of her passing. I loved her so much, and delighted in her persona.

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