The eccentric and self-absorbed Bliss family will inspire non-stop, sidesplitting laughter to audiences during the Classics at Brucemore production of Hay Fever, July 10 - 12 and 17 - 19 at 8:00 p.m. The 19th annual Classics at Brucemore performance, directed by Jim Kern, will uphold its reputation as one of Brucemore's signature events. The estate's natural amphitheater will provide a captivating backdrop as the Bliss family breaks social conventions on and off the stage, interacting with the audience and the surrounding area.  Audiences are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to the show; the gates will open at 7:00 p.m.  Advance tickets are $15 for Brucemore Members and students and $18 for adults.  All tickets at the gate are $20.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.brucemore.org, by calling (319) 362-7375, or by visiting the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center.

Hay Fever, written in 1924 by Noël Coward, takes place on a single weekend in June at the summer home of the wealthy and bohemian Bliss family.  Each family member, without consulting the others, has invited a special guest for the weekend.  However, the family is so egotistical that the needs of their guests (and their overwhelmed household employee Clara) go completely unnoticed.  While the Blisses may be awful people to visit, they are hilarious to watch as they turn what should have been a weekend of intimate leisure into riotous mayhem.

Audiences attend the Classics once and realize that what is in their picnic basket is nearly as important as what is onstage. From carryout pizza or deli-sandwiches to elaborate spreads of antipasto plates and roasted chicken, dining is taken to a new level with Brucemore's version of dinner and a show. Packing for a Classics picnic just became easier. Brucemore is partnering with The Early Bird to offer patrons the opportunity to have their picnic waiting for them at the show. Select one of three dining options, call Brucemore (319) 362-7375 to place an order, pick it up in the Visitor Center the night of the event, and enjoy the Classics experience. Picnics must be purchased at least 36 hours before the show date by calling (319) 362-7375. A "Classics Package" is also available, including a wine tote, two picnics, and a bottle of wine. A complete list of the picnic options can be found at www.brucemore.org.

Sponsored by Rockwell Collins and media sponsored by The Gazette, KCRG-TV9, and Hoopla, Hay Fever features a cast of the area's finest actors. Seven return to the Classics stage, including Angela Billman, Matthew James, Jim Kropa, David Morton, Marty Norton, Cherryl Moon Thomason, and Kristen Wilcox. Making their Classics debut are Aaron Murphy and Lindsay Prince. For additional information, please visit the Brucemore website, www.brucemore.org.

The Classics at Brucemore began as collaboration between Torchlight Theatrics and Brucemore in 1996, thus launching outdoor theater in Eastern Iowa. The Classics celebrates a rich history of quality live theater, from Greek tragedy to Shakespearean comedy and twentieth century American drama. Much more than a play performed outdoors, the Classics fully utilizes the natural amphitheater, incorporating the estate itself into the action; actors emerge from the woods, get dunked in the pond, and help themselves to the audience's picnics.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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Lecture Series on Geology of the National Parks Continues at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

WEST BRANCH, IOWA– Dr. Richard Baker continues his series of lectures about geology in our national parks with presentations on Acadia and Great Smoky Mountains (Wednesday, June 18 at 7 p.m.) and Mount Rainier and Crater Lake (Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m.). The lectures take place at the visitor center, are free, and last about one hour.

Dr. Baker is a professor emeritus in the Geoscience Department at University of Iowa. He completed his doctorate research at Yellowstone National Park. He has traveled to many of our national parks and has taught a course on them at the University of Iowa. Dr. Baker's previous lectures at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site examined national parks as diverse as Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Hawaii Volcanoes, Everglades, and many others.

The lecture series is offered in recognition of President Herbert Hoover's interests in geology and conservation.

Join A Park Ranger For A Tallgrass Prairie Walk

On Saturday, June 21 a park ranger leads visitors through the reconstructed 81-acre tallgrass prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Join to learn how and why the National Park Service is reconstructing this endangered habitat as part of the landscape commemorating Herbert Hoover's life. The walks begin at the tallgrass prairie observation deck by the gravesite parking lot at 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The walk is less than a mile and lasts about 60 minutes. Bring water, dress for the weather, and wear comfortable walking shoes. Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, and insect repellent are also recommended.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

110 Parkside Drive

PO Box 607

West Branch, Iowa 52358

319 643-2541 phone

319 643-7864 fax

www.nps.gov/heho

Twitter: @HooverNPS

Facebook: HerbertHooverNHS

We pay large amounts of money to watch people kill one another on giant movie theater screens.

Video games allow for players to live a psychopathic life of crime.

America's favorite sport, football, clearly rewards brutality.

"Our increasing tolerance of, and lust for, vicarious violence is frightening," says scholar L. Craig Williams, author of "The Fourth Army," (www.lcraigwilliams.com).

The upward trajectory of vicarious violence is matched by the increasing amounts of dehumanizing media we're exposed to: "Reality television" turns supposed real-life personal heartbreak and tragedy into entertainment. The internet is casually rife with porn and horrific imagery.

"It's no surprise we're seeing more and more mass shootings at schools and other public venues, more incidents of road rage, and even more heinous crimes committed by children," Williams says. "When we're inured to violence and we lose our appreciation for the value of every human life, society can become terribly cruel, even sadistic."

How can you shield yourself and your family from dehumanizing media?

•  Don't give your children "junk food" media. You wouldn't let your kids eat a candy bar with Yoo-hoo for breakfast; pizza for lunch and a plate of cheese fries for dinner. Discourage junk media by encouraging stimulating discussions and edifying reading material at an early age. Children are full of curiosity and wonder; don't be afraid to engage with them on their questions about life, even if you don't have all the answers.

•  Already addicted to vicarious violence? Exercise your empathy. Are you captivated by clownishly aggressive young women having meltdowns on TV? Rather than taking petty pleasure with a palpable dash of superiority in witnessing that footage, you might instead wonder why you are supporting the exploitation of broken, emotionally immature people. That young woman could be your daughter, sister, friend, coworker, etc. who forever regrets her misguided choices while a young person.

•  Read a book! Focusing on anything for an extended period of time is inherently pleasurable, and reading a book - but please not a murder mystery - provides the kind of engagement that is far more satisfying than vicarious violence. If it has been awhile since you've read a book, you'll feel just as good as you do when you exercise and eat right. Reading is good for you. Fiction is shown to increase empathy among readers, and nonfiction books broaden your understanding of how the world works.

•  Engage with the people around you. One way vicarious violence works is by a disassociation with the person being abused. This disassociation is probably being amplified by seeing people as two-dimensional profiles online - more like vague entities than human beings. Take time to renew and strengthen relationships. Pay attention to your family members; understand your neighbor may have had a rough day - heck, maybe the checkout girl at the store could use a smile and a kind word. Isn't life more interesting when you're engaged with what and who is around you?

About L. Craig Williams

L. Craig Williams holds a bachelor's degree in European History and a Juris Doctor, specializing in international law. He has written extensively about human resources and individual leadership. Williams has been an International Fellow of Columbia University and has published articles on comparative law and was a director of the German-American Law Association for many years. He has lived in Germany, France and England and makes his home in New York.

Water Resources Reform and Development Act will create jobs, invest in our economy

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) was signed into law by President Obama.

"It has taken a long time to get this bill signed into law, but I am pleased Congress could finally come together and get it done. I have been fighting since the Floods of 2008 to get these flood protection measures passed and I am hopeful that after completion, the people of Cedar Rapids will be protected from future devastation," said Loebsack. "This bill is an investment in our economy and will create jobs right here in our state. It is also very important to Iowa because it addresses our outdated, crumbling infrastructure including locks and dams, flood protection and Army Corps projects that are needed to keep our communities safe."

Loebsack initiatives contained in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) include :

·         Flood protection measures for downtown Cedar Rapids that Loebsack fought to expand after the Floods of 2008;

·         Addressing critical flood protection and transportation concerns on the Mississippi River;

·         Legislation Loebsack cosponsored to explore the creation of public-private partnerships between the Army Corps of Engineers and private entities as financing alternatives for lock and dam capital projects.