Come be a part of an out of this world adventure this summer in The Unknowns Freak Out Roswell.

Who? Children ages 7 and up

Where? Wilson Middle School, Cedar Rapids When? July 28 - August 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Campers need to bring a sack lunch.

The final performance will be on August 1, 2014 at 7 pm.

Cost: $85 per child. Includes a show T-shirt.

The Unknowns Freak Out Roswell is a week long workshop for children interested in exploring the exciting world of theatre! The camp is designed to give children ages 7 and up the unique opportunity to work and perform with three professional actors from The Old Creamery Theatre while they rehearse and present a play. The Unknowns Freak Out Roswell is a brand new musical with extraterrestrial appeal! Registration is first come, first served (up to 60

actors) and everyone that signs up will be cast in the show. A great way for boys and girls to have an intergalactic theatrical experience this summer! Visit us online at www.oldcreamery.com.

Children must commit to attending all rehearsals and final performance in order to participate in Camp Creamery.  Questions? Contact Jackie McCall at 319-622-6034 or jmccall@oldcreamery.com.

Camp Creamery is sponsored by Toyota Financial Services and Alliant Energy Foundation.

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

WHEATON, IL (06/10/2014)(readMedia)-- The following students at Wheaton College (Ill.) were named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2014 semester.

Dean's List honors are earned by undergraduate students who carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher on the 4.0 scale.

Evan Rahn of Bettendorf

Beau Westlund of Bettendorf

Logan Eliasen of Port Byron

Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) is a coeducational Christian liberal arts college noted for its rigorous academics, integration of faith and learning, and consistent ranking among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. For more information, visit wheaton.edu.
Tired of Frivolous Dehumanization? 4 Ways to Put Dignity Back in Your Family's Day

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.

Green Buddha Life Sustainability Center Only Dedicated Environmental Justice Center For Chicago Focused On Environmental Health & Justice In At-Risk Suburban Communities

 

 

AURORA -- Founder, scholar-activist Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 5, 2014 for the grand opening of the Green Buddha Life Sustainability Center, Bookstore & Eco-Arts Gallery (The Center) in Aurora, the region's first dedicated sustainability center focusing on environmental health and justice for all suburban residents, particularly low-income, minority communities.

The Center will spur environmental justice and promote environmental health on multiple levels by serving as a:
  • Sustainability Center: Meeting and training space for local, regional and national environmental sustainability groups;
  • Green Buddha Life Books: Green business to expand recycling "loved books" while creating safe, green jobs through an online bookstore; and,
  • Eco-Arts Gallery: Community space featuring the work of artists produced by recycled books and other recycled material.

The grand opening featured speakers, sustainability workshops in the Eco-Arts Gallery, and eco/sustainability film screenings and discussions.

Green Buddha Life Sustainability Center, Bookstore and the Eco-Arts Gallery are the vision and brainchild of longtime environmental scientist, consultant, scholar and activist Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington. Located in downtown west suburban Aurora, Ill., the mission of Green Buddha Life is to spur environmental justice and promote environmental health. For more information please visit www.e3hra.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EHRALLC.

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.

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Rock Island, IL– On Thursday June 12th, the KISS Hope Creek Referendum Committee will be hosting their third town hall meeting concerning the past, present, and future of Hope Creek Nursing Home and the November Referendum. The purpose of this town hall meeting is to better inform Rock Island County voters on this important community issue.

The following individuals will be in attendance to share their perspectives and insight as well as take questions from the audience:

Trudy Whittington, Hope Creek Care Center Administrator

Virginia "Ginny" Shelton, Rock Island County Board District 14

Mike Malmstrom, Power of Attorney for Congressman Lane Evans

Scott Terry, Rock Island County Board District 21

The town hall meeting will be held at the Moline Township Hall in Moline, Illinois located at 620 18th Street from 5:30-7:30pm. Light refreshments and snacks will be available. All Rock Island County residents are invited.

To learn more about KISS, please visit www.kisshopecreek.com or www.facebook.com/kissh
New Standards Up the Ante for Food Safety in Restaurants -- 1,500 People Receive Advanced Food Safety Certification in First Quarter of 2014

June 10, 2014 - West Des Moines, IA - On January 1, Iowa instituted a new food code which includes a requirement that every food service establishment have a certified food protection manager on staff. This certification is earned by taking an approved food safety and sanitation course and passing a national standards exam. Since the adoption of the new standard, more than 1,500 people across the state have earned the designation - a 30% increase over the number of people who had taken the exam in first quarter last year. 

"Prior to the new requirement, many of Iowa's 6,000+ restaurants and bars had already determined that having a certified food safety professional is good for business," said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. "This new standard ups the ante for all food service establishments and will ultimately enhance the experience for all customers."
ServSafe Food Safety certification classes are offered bi-monthly through the Iowa Restaurant Association and ISU extension offices across the state. The certification is good for five years. 

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Iowa Restaurant Association
The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa's restaurant and bar industry with educational and promotional programs across the state. www.restaurantiowa.com

2nd Fiddle Sale
the area's largest sale of gently used items
504 17th Street Moline, IL
formerly the historic Moline Public Library
Preview Party Wednesday, June 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission $10
Thursday and Friday, June 12 -13 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. FREE admission
Saturday, June 14 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. FREE admission (Items are half-price all day)

Proceeds benefit the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's education program.

Please visit our website www.qcsymphony.com
Special Offer: Attendees at the Preview Party will receive a $1 off coupon to the German-American Heritage exhibit " 100 Years, 100 Stories".

Neurosurgeon Recommends Building Muscle as
Best Protection Against 'the Disease of Aging'
Offers 5 Exercises for a Solid Strength-Building Regime

If you want good health, a long life and to feel your best well into old age, the No. 1 most important thing you can do is strength-training, says Dr. Brett Osborn, author of "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness," www.drbrettosborn.com

"Our ability to fight off disease resides in our muscles," Dr. Osborn says. "The greatest thing you can do for your body is to build muscle."

He cites a large, long-term study of nearly 9,000 men ages 20 to 80. After nearly 19 years, the men still living were those with the most muscular strength. (BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, 2008).

Muscle is all protein - "nothing but good for you," Dr. Osborn says.

Fat, however, is an endocrine organ, meaning it releases hormones and other chemicals. When a person has excess fat, he or she also a disrupted flow of excess biochemicals, which can increase insulin resistance and boost risk factors for stroke and high blood pressure, among other problems.

"Increased cytokines, an immune system chemical, for example, are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease," Dr. Osborn says. "You're only as old as your arteries!"

Strength-training has health benefits for everyone, he adds, no matter their size.

"Some fat is visceral fat - it's stored around the organs and it's even more dangerous than the fat you can see," he says. "People who look thin may actually be carrying around a lot of visceral fat."

So, what's the workout Dr. Osborn recommends?

"Back to basics," he says. "These five exercises are the pillars of a solid training regime."

•  The squat is a full-body exercise; it's the basic movement around which all training should be centered. Heavy squats generate a robust hormonal response as numerous muscular structures are traumatized during the movement (even your biceps). Standing erect with a heavy load on your back and then repeatedly squatting down will stress your body inordinately - in a good way -- forcing it to grow more muscle.

•  The overhead press primarily activates the shoulders, arm extenders and chest. Lower body musculature is also activated as it counters the downward force of the dumbbell supported by the trainee. From the planted feet into the hands, force is transmitted through the skeletal system, stabilized by numerous muscular structures, most importantly the lower back.

•  The deadlift centers on the hamstrings, buttocks, lumbar extensors and quadriceps, essentially the large muscles of your backside and the front of your thighs. As power is transferred from the lower body into the bar through the upper body conduit, upper back muscles are also stressed, contrasting with the squat, which is supported by the hands. Deadlifts are considered by some to be the most complete training exercise.

•  The bench press mostly targets the chest, shoulders and triceps; it's the most popular among weightlifters, and it's very simple - trainees push the barbell off the lower chest until the arms are straight. This motion stresses not only the entire upper body, but also the lower body, which serves a stabilizing function. This provides a big hormonal response and plenty of bang for your buck.

•  The pull-up / chin-up stress upper body musculature into the body. A pull-up is done when hands gripping over the bar; a chin-up is where hands are gripping under the bar. Nine out of 10 people cannot do this exercise because most simply haven't put in the effort. It's also been called a "man's exercise, which is nonsense," he says. There are no gender-specific exercises. Women, too, should aspire to enjoy the health benefits entailed with this pillar.

"There are no secrets to a strong and healthier body; hard work is required for the body that will remain vital and strong at any age," Osborn says. "Always practice proper form and safety. Otherwise, the result will be the opposite of your goal, an injury."

About Dr. Brett Osborn

Brett Osborn is a New York University-trained, board-certified neurological surgeon with a secondary certification in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Diplomate; American Bard of Neurological Surgery, Diplomate; American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He holds a CSCS honorarium from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dr. Osborn specializes in scientifically based nutrition and exercise as a means to achieve optimal health and preventing disease. He is the author "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness," www.drbrettosborn.com.

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