Paint and be merry at Senior Star with featured local artist Beth Peters

DAVENPORT, IA (January 7, 2015) -Senior Star at Elmore Place is pleased to be the host venue of the Quad Cities Vino Van Gogh™ event from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, January 15 at 4500 Elmore Avenue.

Participants will enjoy an evening to paint Centennial Bridge, a well-known landmark in the Quad Cities, with featured native and local artist, Beth Peters.  No previous painting experience is required and participants will be shown step by step how to create their own paintings.  "This is an event that everyone can enjoy as art is such a wonderful expression of communication," said Marc Strohschein, executive director of Senior Star at Elmore Place.  "We are excited to be the host site for this event and look forward to families and friends joining us as we enjoy a great sense of community camaraderie."

Vino Van Gogh™ started several years ago by a few friends who shared a passion for wine, friendship, art and their community.  Vino Van Gogh™ solely hosts events at local venues where artists and guests live and work. Their concept is based on the idea that they can bring engaging, unique fun events for the community to enjoy at existing neighborhood wine and coffee bars, restaurants and other venues.  Unlike other art edu-tainment (education + entertainment) companies, they support the businesses in local communities, not compete with them for your business.  Their contract instructors are artists, school teachers and others who have a passion for art.  Using the Vino Van Gogh techniques™ for instruction, they make it simple for even those with no background in art to create their own work-of-art in just one sitting. 

Participants are asked to bring their own wine and beverages, and light refreshments will be served by Senior Star.  Due to the popularity of this event, RSVPs are requested no later than January 13 as space is limited.  Tickets are $38 per person.  To register visit www.vinogogh.com.

For more information about Senior Star at Elmore Place or to schedule a tour, call 563.484.5114 or visit the web site at www.seniorstar.com.

About Senior Star at Elmore Place

Senior Star at Elmore Place, a Senior Star community, features 236 modernly decorated apartments spanning across 20 acres of beautifully landscaped property with many customized amenities to offer its residents three distinctive living experiences:  independent living, assisted living and memory care.  For more information, visit www.seniorstar.com.

Churches United of the Quad City Area has received a $4,000.00 grant from The Melvin McKay Trust. This award supports the direct services that Churches United provides in the Quad City Area.

Churches United operates 26 food pantries and 3 hot meal sites in the Quad Cities, and Winnie's Place, a shelter serving women (and their children) who are homeless and/or victims of domestic violence.

Churches United has a 54-year history of reaching out to our community. Its 134 member churches represent 50,000 people from the Quad City Area. For information about services offered, or ways to support Churches United, call 563-332-5002, or visit our website at www.CUQCA.org.

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Davenport's QC Theatre Workshop will host auditions for its summer production, Nina Raine's family drama Tribes, on Saturday, February 21 at 5:00pm, with performances scheduled for June 12 - 28. Directed by Augustana College theatre instructor Jennifer Popple, Tribes features roles for three women and three men, ages early 20s through early 60s, with two of the roles requiring some performance of sign language.

The recipient of the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Best Play, Tribes tells the story of a young deaf man born into a hearing family, whose parents - wanting to protect him from feeling like an outcast - prevent him from learning sign language. However, when he meets a young woman who is losing her hearing and is already fluent in sign, deeper questions about family, community, beliefs, traditions, and communication are raised in this smart and moving new work that the Chicago Tribune called "uncommonly fine play," and the New Yorker magazine deemed "extraordinary."

Raine's unique drama employs both speech and sign language - with the latter being interpreted for hearing audiences via projected super-titles - and two of Tribes' cast members will be asked to perform sign language in their roles. But while prior familiarity with sign language will be beneficial, it is not required, as rehearsals will be set aside for the actors to focus exclusively on sign.

Female actors are sought for the roles of Beth (50s/60s), Ruth (20s), and Sylvia (20s), and male actors for the roles of Christopher (50s/60s), Daniel (20s), and Billy (20s). Those auditioning will be asked to perform a memorized dramatic monologue of two minutes or fewer and be prepared to read from the script. Rehearsals will begin in early May, with opening night scheduled for Friday, June 12.

Prior to Tribes, the QC Theatre Workshop will present its two spring productions. The first production of 2015 is author Keith Huff's Broadway smash A Steady Rain. Running March 13 - 28, and described by the Chicago Tribune as "a gritty, rich, thick, poetic, and entirely gripping noir" this tale of two Chicago cops and a horrific shooting reunites the team who initiated the Workshop's 2012 debut production of RED: director Tyson Danner and co-stars Mike Schulz and Thomas Alan Taylor. In May, the Workshop with partner with Dress for Success Quad Cities to present a benefit production of Nora and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss and What I Wore May 15 - 17.

and other events at the QC Theatre Workshop, call (563)650-2396 or e-mail info@QCTheatreWorkshop.org, and visit QCTheatreWorkshop.org and Facebook.com/QCTheatreWorkshop.

A Steady Rain Performances

Friday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 21, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.

Love, Loss and What I Wore

Performances

Friday, May 15, 7:30pm

Saturday, May 16, 7:30pm

Sunday, May 17, 3pm

Tribes Performances

Friday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m.

Friday, June 19, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 20, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 21, 3 p.m.

Friday, June 26, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 27, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 28, 3 p.m.

Pledges to continue fight to grow the economy, expand the middle class and make education available to everyone

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after he was sworn in at the beginning of the 114th Congress. Loebsack, who began serving in 2007, is beginning his fifth term serving the people of Iowa's Second Congressional District.

"As the new Congress is sworn in, I am honored to be given the opportunity to continue my work on growing the economy, fighting to expand the middle class and ensuring everyone has access to the education they need to succeed in the 21st century workforce. In the nearly 500 events I held around Iowa last year, the one thing that remained constant was the desire of the people for Congress to put aside its political bickering and come together to move our nation forward. The beginning of this new Congress provides us an opportunity to do just that. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Iowa."

As the new congress convenes, Loebsack will now serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He will continue to have two district offices, in Davenport and Iowa City, and will remain in the same office in Washington.

Davenport District Office

209 W. 4^th Street

Davenport, IA 52801

Phone: 563-323-5988

Toll Free: 1-800-914-4692

Iowa City District Office

125 South Dubuque Street
Iowa City, IA 52240

Phone: 319-351-0789

Toll Free: 1-800-914-4692

Washington, D.C. Office

1527 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: 202-225-6576