Event:                   FMLA - Update for Leave Administrators

Date:                     Thursday, May 7, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $160 MRA members / $205 nonmembers

It's important to stay current.  The FMLA playing field changes rapidly each year due to court cases, DOL rulings, and administrator's interpretations.  MRA's experienced human resources professionals, who answer thousands of FMLA member questions each year, will guide you through the latest changes to keep you current with FMLA administration.  The course content is fluid and will reflect current legal activity as well as hot topics from recent member inquiries.

To register, or for more information, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

 

Event:                   Forklift/Lift Truck Train-The Trainer

Date:                     Thursday, May 14, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $350 MRA members / $450 nonmembers (includes full kit with videos)

Second attendee from same company $175 MRA members/ $210 nonmembers

This highly successful powered industrial truck training program is designed to provide you with all the information you need to instruct and train your employees on safe operation of powered industrial trucks.  Included in the cost of this program are 6 hours of classroom instruction at MRA's facility and program information necessary for conducting qualified training classes.

 

To register, or for more information, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

 

Event:                  Negotiation Skills- Accomplishing the Win-Win - Finding the Common Ground

Date:                     Monday, May 18, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $250 MRA members / $340 nonmembers

 

In this program, participants examine the strategies, tactics, and techniques that skilled negotiators use to reach mutually satisfying  outcomes and participants learn how to identify the needs and underlying interests of both parties and plan approaches for communicating their side with confidence.

To register, or for more information, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

 

Event:                  Strategic Planning Workshop: A Case Study

Date:                     Thursday, May 21, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $250 MRA members / $340 nonmembers

This workshop provides leaders with a structural approach that ensures fact-based decision making that can be used for evaluating specific problems or opportunities or to conduct a more general business review for strategic planning.

To register, or for more information, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

Event:                   Affirmative Action Plan Workshop

Date:                     Thursday, May 28 & Friday, May 29, 2015

Time:                    8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where:                MRA-The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities - Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:                       $460 MRA members / $665 nonmembers

During this workshop, participants will receive the tools needed to write a federally-sound affirmative action plan from start to finish, including the preparation of all critical statistical analysis.

To register, or for more information, go to our new website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events, or contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or Kathy.riley@mranet.org

About MRA-The Management Association
Founded in 1901, MRA-The Management is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. MRA is headquartered in Waukesha, Wis., and has regional offices in Palatine, Ill.; Moline, Ill.; and Plymouth, Minn. To learn more and to become a member of MRA, visit www.mranet.org.

The deadline for the Health Insurance Market Place's Special Enrollment Period for Tax Season is April 30th. The Project of the Quad Cities is having a phone bank tomorrow, April 16th from 4:00pm to 6:30 pm at our office, 2316 5th Avenue in Moline, IL. The phone number for the phone bank is (309)762-5433.
Trained and Licensed Illinois Navigators will be available to answer any questions regarding the Special Enrollment Period and help determine consumer eligibility.
The criteria to be eligible for this special enrollment period is very specific and goes as follows: Are not currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan AND have a penalty on their taxes for 2014 for not having insurance, AND were unaware, or did not understand the penalty and its implications.
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Nutrition Icon Breaks Down The Health Benefits

After a brutally cold winter for much of the country, it's time to embrace the changing season and cleanse and rejuvenate our bodies with lighter foods, juices and smoothies, says nutritionist and juicing pioneer Cherie Calbom, MS. ("The Juice Lady").

What's considered healthy and unhealthy seems to change on a regular basis, which is why it's helpful to recognize further studies that confirm previous findings. Most recently, a study by Georgia State University microbiologist Benoit Chassaing has further confirmed the destructive properties of an inflammatory diet.

Researchers found that common additives in processed foods including ice cream, margarine, packaged bread and many more may promote the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease as well as a group of obesity-related conditions.

"It's not only intestinal problems; low-grade inflammation caused by food additives has been shown to contribute to weight gain and blood sugar control problems, as well as a host of other chronic disease," says Calbom, author of "The Juice Lady's Anti-Inflammation Diet" (www.juiceladycherie.com), which offers healthy meal options, smoothies and robust juice recipes to help readers live an anti-inflammation lifestyle.

"No matter the kind of diet you may lean toward - vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, no-carb, Mediterranean, Neanderthal or any other kind of diet - any and all anti-inflammation efforts are well worth it!"

Healthy juices and shakes are a convenient way to reduce inflammation, revitalize your cells and lose some of those winter pounds.

"Yes, you can lose weight on the anti-inflammation diet and rejuvenate your body," says Calbom, who offers just a few of her recipes and discusses their health benefits.

•  Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail
1 green apple
½ large fennel with fronds
1-inch-piece ginger root
1 large broccoli stem
3 leaves kale
½ cucumber, peeled if not organic

Cut produce to fit your juicer. Start by juicing the apple and finish with the cucumber. Drink as soon as possible.

Benefits
Fennel: anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, analgesic, and antioxidant
Apple: inhibits the development of allergies; rich in histamine-lowering quercetin
Cucumber: analgesic (pain killer); antioxidant that prevents the synthesis of the inflammatory compound prostaglandin
Broccoli: anti-carcinogenic, prevents gastric mucosal damage (suggesting potential histamine-lowering action)
Ginger: as effective as an H2 receptor antagonist prescription drug

•  Morning Energy
1 - 2 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
½ small beet, with leaves
1 cucumber, peeled if not organic
1 handful spinach or several chard leaves
½ lemon, peeled
1-inch-piece ginger root, scrubbed, peeled if old

Cut produce to fit your juicer's feed tube. Juice all ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.

Benefits
Beets contain unique phytonutrients called betalains, which have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification effects.

•  Antioxidant Power Smoothie
1 cup unsweetened plant milk such as hemp, coconut, or almond milk
½ cup blueberries
1 pear
½ cup baby spinach
1 tsp. Indian gooseberry extract (optional)*
1 Tbsp. flaxseed
Ice cubes (optional, depending on how cold you like your smoothie)

Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.

Benefits
Berries help prevent damaging effects of free radicals and inflammation by turning off the inflammation signals triggered by cytokines and COX-2s, making them an ideal part of your diet.

Cherie Calbom, M.S.

Cherie Calbom holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. She is author of 26 books including The Juice Lady's Anti- Inflammation Diet (www.juiceladycherie.com), The Juice Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies, The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet, Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life, The Juice Lady's Living Foods Revolution, The Complete Cancer Cleanse, and Juicing for Life with over 2 million books sold in the U.S. and published in 23 countries. She has worked as a celebrity nutritionist with George Foreman and Richard Simmons, and has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows and in scores of magazine articles. She appeared on QVC for more than 13 years with the George Foreman grill. Known as "The Juice Lady" for her work with juicing and health, her juice therapy and cleansing programs have been popular for more than a decade.

Rock Island, IL: The planting of a new tree at the Rock Island Library's 30/31 Branch seemed like a great opportunity to feature activities about Earth Day and the environment. So the library's Tuesday, April 21 story time has now transformed into an Earth Week Storytime.

Preschoolers and parents or caregivers are invited to gather at 10:30 am on Tuesday to help the library plant a weeping cherry blossom tree on the east side of the 30/31 Branch at 3059 30th Street, make tree crafts and hear some fun tree stories, including "Our Tree Named Steve," by Alan Zweibel. Patrons can also stop by and pick up small red oak, white oak and swamp white oak seedlings, courtesy of the Living Lands and Waters MillionTrees project. The free trees will be available starting Tuesday morning, while supplies last. Planting instructions will be provided with each tree.

For details about additional library events and services, including upcoming events in the "Every Hero Has a Story" summer reading program, visit library locations or www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library's Facebook and Twitter sites, or call 309-732-READ (7323.)

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Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library provides resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination through three locations, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities.