Clinton, IA (May 7, 2015) The Rotary Club of Clinton's "Celebrate our Heritage, Invest in our Future" fundraising campaign to renovate the 80 year old Eagle Point Park Lodge is well on its way to raising $1 Million thanks to a $250,000 contribution from a local foundation.

The Rotary Club of Clinton, a group of business leaders in the gateway area, is leading the efforts to raise $1 million by June 30th to update the inside and outside of the Eagle Point Park Lodge as part of their 100 year anniversary celebration.  Dedicated Rotarians picked this project and set the lofty, but attainable, goal to demonstrate how Rotarians serve the gateway area.

"We wanted to showcase the talent that lies within our Rotary club, how we have served the area the past 100 years and how we will light up Clinton the next 100 years.  We couldn't think of a better way to do that than by leading the charge on renovating one of the area's gems," said Kellie Hillis, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clinton and campaign co-chair.

The campaign team, which started seeking funding the beginning of April, has already raised almost $400,000 thanks in part to a generous $250,000 contribution from the Armstrong Curtis Foundation.  The Armstrong Curtis Foundation, started in 1954 by Edith Curtis Armstrong, Florence E. Curtis and Jacqueline N. Armstrong, typically supports projects in Clinton and Whiteside counties that would have significant impact on the community.  This contribution is the 3^rd largest donation the foundation has made over the last 20 years.

The Armstrong Curtis Foundation is excited to be a first lead donor to the Lodge project at Eagle Point Park and encourages the rest of the community foundations, corporations and civic minded community individuals to get behind this project so it can be fully funded by June 30^th.

The Eagle Point Park Lodge was built in the 1930's by WPA workmen.  There have been some additions and upgrades since then, but with crumbling walls, outdated fixtures and increased usage, the lodge is in need of some improvements.  The $1 million renovation includes leveling out the entrances and updating the bathrooms for ADA compliance, creating a grand entrance with lodge feel that can accommodate buses, expanding the veranda on the river side to allow for outdoor event space, aesthetic interior and exterior improvements plus the addition of a small meeting/bridal room.

If you'd like to contribute to the "Celebrate our Heritage, Invest in our Future" campaign.  Please mail check to: Gateway Area Foundation, PO Box 1024, Clinton, IA 52732 or email epplodgeproject@gmail.com.

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This is a privately funded campaign.  No tax, city or government money is being used.  All contributions are tax deductible.

About Rotary Club of Clinton - The Rotary Club of Clinton, was founded on June 24, 1915.  There are currently 100 members who work together to serve the Clinton area.  The Rotary Club of Clinton has provided playground equipment at Rotary Park, Ericksen Center and Rainbow Park; in addition to building water/wells in Haiti, providing dictionaries to area 3^rd graders, Coats for Kids, scholarships to area high school students, sponsoring exchange students, helping to eradicate Polio and more.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed the following three bills into law:

House File 397 is an Act defining occasional work for purposes of the state child labor law.

House File 585 is an Act establishing an address confidentiality program in the Office of the Secretary of State for a victim of domestic abuse, domestic abuse assault, sexual abuse, stalking, and human trafficking and providing for a fee and including effective date provisions.

House File 615 is an Act relating to the establishment, operation, and dissolution of rural improvement zones.

Scott County residents who would like to know more about gardening and share their knowledge with others are encouraged to sign up for the Master Gardener training course to be held September - November, 2015.  This program offers intensive horticulture training in exchange for volunteer service in the community.

The 2015 training program will be from 6:30 - 9:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  An additional Saturday session will be held on October 10th or 24th at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  This will offer lab sessions at the ISU plant disease and insect labs.  Cost for the program is $195.  More details and applications are available at the Scott County Extension Office, 875 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf, Iowa, online at www.extension.iastate.edu/scott or by calling 563-359-7577. Applications are due July 31, 2015.

Master Gardeners provide information and education to the community on lawn care, trees, shrubs, insects, disease, weed control, soil and plant nutrition, vegetable and flower gardening, ornamentals and houseplants.

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2015 - The next World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, which will be released at 12 noon ET on May 12, will present USDA's initial assessment of U.S. and world crop supply and demand prospects and U.S. prices for the 2015/16 marketing year. It will also present the first calendar-year 2016 projections of U.S. livestock, poultry, and dairy products.

The WASDE U.S. Wheat Supply and Use Table on page 11 and the U.S. Feed Grain and Corn Supply and Use Table on page 12 have been reformatted to delete "CCC Inventory, Free Stock and Outstanding Loans." The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) grain inventories have been small to non-existent in recent years. The Outstanding Loans data are available from the Farm Service Agency website.

An example of the table changes on pages 11 and 12 are found on the following two sample WASDE pages.

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