Imagine Revolution: Freedom Socialist Party National Convention. Speakers from the United States, Latin America, and Australia will report on organizing in their countries and consider the subversive possibility of sharing wealth, power, art and leisure in a society run by working people. Strategy sessions and workshops will focus on how to keep the flame lit in a rekindled U.S. labor movement; taking action across national borders; the special issues and political contributions of young people; and building a socialist feminist alternative together with fighting for environmental sanity and justice for all. May 24-26, 2014, held at AFSCME District Council 36, 514 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA, 90020. Wheelchair accessible. Daily registration $20; students and strikers $10. Info 206-985-4621 or register at www.socialism.com.

When: Thursday, March 6th - 5:30 p.m.

Why:  Explore Rivermont Kindergarten! Meet teachers and experience curriculum with hands-on activities! Parents are encouraged to bring their future Kindergarten students. Childcare will be provided for siblings. This event is open to the community - join us!

Where:  Rivermont Collegiate, 1821 Sunset Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722 (located directly off 18th Street, behind K&K Hardware)

For additional information contact Karen Roebuck, Director of Admissions & Marketing, at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or roebuck@rvmt.org

Brubaker Lodge # 675, Davenport, Iowa Fundraiser for Scholarship

WHEN: Saturday, March 8, 2014. Serving 5 to 6:30 PM

WHERE: The Masonic Center, 511 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Davenport, Iowa

COST: $5.00 Donation

Proceeds go to the Brubaker Lodge Scholarship Fund.

The members of Brubaker Lodge No. 675 want to WARM

your hearts with good fellowship and serve you a bowl

of chili; along with condiments of corn bread, cheese,

crackers, veggie tray. For soothing purposes, ice cream

and cookies for dessert.

Come one, come all. Open to the public.

LAWRENCE, KS (03/03/2014)(readMedia)-- Approximately 4,620 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the fall 2013 semester.

The students, from KU's Lawrence campus and the schools of health professions and nursing in Kansas City, Kan., represent 93 of 105 Kansas counties, 45 other states and 40 other countries.

Area honorees are as follows:

Joseph Boland, of Rock Island. He is the son of Mary Dewitte, Rock Island, Ill. Boland was named to the honor roll for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Rebecca Townsend, of Muscatine. She is the daughter of Betsy and James Townsend, Muscatine, Iowa. Townsend was named to the honor roll for the School of Music.

Rachel Rauch, of Leclaire. She is the daughter of Rebecca Rauch, Leclaire, Iowas. Rauch was named to the honor roll for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Caitlin Doornbos, of Dewitt. She is the daughter of William Doornbos, Dewitt, Iowa, and Shannon Stuckert, Hutchinson. Doornbos was named to the honor roll for the School of Journalism.

The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the schools of allied health; architecture, design and planning; business; education; engineering; journalism; music; nursing; pharmacy; and social welfare.

Honor roll criteria vary among the university's academic units. Some schools honor the top 10 percent of students enrolled, some establish a minimum grade-point average and others raise the minimum GPA for each year students are in school. Students must complete a minimum number of credit hours to be considered for the honor roll.

1941

The Red Cross began collecting blood for the U.S. military with Dr. Charles Drew as medical director.

1943

March was first proclaimed Red Cross Month by Franklin Roosevelt. Every president since has honored Red Cross Month.

1948

The Red Cross implemented the first nationwide blood program for civilians. The first collection center opened in Rochester, N.Y.

1972

The Red Cross called for a national blood policy, which the federal government set up in 1974, supporting standardized practices.

1992

The Red Cross applied standardized tests to ensure the safety of blood products. Now about a dozen tests are performed on every blood donation.

PEORIA, Ill. (March 3, 2014) – During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross invites everyone to make a difference in their communities by giving blood, volunteering, taking a class or making a financial donation. Those supporters enable the Red Cross to continue to help people in need like the Roux family.

Jenny Roux's son, Blake, was born with a rare and serious chromosome disorder that causes multiple abnormalities. Jenny and Blake both received two pints of blood the day he was born. For Blake, that marked the first of many transfusions. Jenny said she knew her time with him would be short, but she credits multiple blood transfusions with helping extend his life.

"Without the blood transfusions, I don't know that he would have even had the 10 months we had with him," she said.

At that point Jenny again turned to the Red Cross, and the organization's Service to the Armed Forces program provided emergency communications about Blake's death to her husband, who was deployed to Iraq.

Thanks to everyday heroes, the Red Cross was there for the Roux family in their time of need.

The Red Cross invites the public to discover their inner hero this month. To make an appointment to donate blood or for more information about other ways to get involved with the Red Cross, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Clinton County

March 23 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Assumption Catholic Church, 147 Broadway St. in Charlotte, Iowa

March 26 from 3:30-7 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1519 S. Washington Blvd. in Camanche, Iowa

Henry County

March 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kewanee High School, 1211 E. Third St. in Kewanee, Ill.

March 25 from 1-6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 214 N. W. Second Ave in Galva, Ill.

March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Woodhull Alwood High School Student Council, 301 E. Fifth Ave. in Woodhull, Ill.

Mercer County

March 18 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Mercer County High School, 1500 College Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

March 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

March 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Aledo Genesis Medical Center, 409 North West Ninth Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

 

Whiteside County

March 19 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

March 19 from 3-7 p.m. at Abiding Word Church, 806 E. Lynn Blvd. in Sterling, Ill.

March 20 from 12-6 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 200 W. Lincolnway in Morrison, Ill.

March 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Robert Fulton Community Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

March 29 from 5:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

March 29 from 7-10:30 a.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

 

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

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COSMOS - A SPACETIME ODYSSEY

Experience the grandeur of the universe on the

Putnam's Giant Screen in the highly

anticipated series premiere of

 

on Sunday, March 9 from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.

with our partners at: KLJB FOX 18

Rock Island, IL– The Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO proudly and unanimously endorses the March 18th referendum concerning the 1% sales tax increase for Rock Island County's schools. Voters will have a very clear choice: we either want what is best for our students, our kids, our future, or we don't. We should all want safer schools, more energy efficient schools, more modernized schools that keep our kids safe, save tax payer dollars on energy bills, and attract the best and brightest from in state and out of state. We can have all of this by voting Yes! on March 18th.

Organized labor has always had a strong interest in promoting and fighting for equal education opportunities for all and we are proud to join with our community allies in seeing this referendum pass.

Moline, United Township, East Moline and Rock Island school districts have agreed to eliminate a building fund levy from property taxes if the sales tax goes through. So this plan offers a clear measure of tax relief, not just a modest tax increase.

For every dollar you spend in Rock Island County, one penny will be put into a fund that can only be used for capital improvements at our schools. That is a financial sacrifice we can and must make for our kids, our future.  A better future has always required an investment from the current generation, and this is our opportunity to do the right thing for our kids.

We strongly encourage all workers, active and retired, in Rock Island County to Vote Yes on March 18th for Rock Island County Schools!

About the Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:  Established in 1959, the QCFL is a 501(c)(5) non-profit labor organization that is made up of 70 different locally affiliated unions, collectively representing nearly 30,000 hard-working men and women throughout the Quad Cities region. We fight for good jobs, good benefits, secure retirements, and strong communities for all workers.


The Moline Public Library is pleased to kick off a six-week look at our nation's civil rights history.  Beginning Monday, March 24th, the travelling exhibition Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 to the March on Washington, 1963 will be on display on the library's 2nd floor.  This exhibit, which examines the relationship between these two great people's movements that tell the larger story of liberty and the American experience, will be on display until April 30th.

In conjunction with Changing America, the Moline Library, with program partners Rock Island Public Library and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will feature the film screening and discussion series Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle.  The four documentaries, produced with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, tells the remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation.  The first viewing and discussion session, featuring The Loving Story, will be held at the Rock Island Main Library Saturday, March 29th at 2:00 p.m.

Additionally, the Moline Public Library is hosting several programs which will highlight the milestones, prominent figures, and themes of Changing America and Created Equal.  A full schedule and descriptions of events can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

The series schedule, in brief, is as follows:

The Created Equal film and discussion series will be hosted by program partners:

The Loving Story, with discussion led by Reverend Dwight Ford of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will be at Rock Island Main Library (401 19th Street, Rock Island) on Saturday, March 29th at 2:00 p.m.

Slavery by Another Name, with discussion led by Dr. Christopher Whitt of Augustana College, will be at Moline Public Library on Monday, April 14th at 6:00 p.m.

The three part documentary The Abolitionists will be screened at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (630 7th Avenue, Rock Island) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15th, April 22nd, and April 29th, with discussion led by Rev. Ford.

Freedom Riders, with discussion led by Dr. Whitt, will be at the Moline Public Library on Monday, April 21st at 6:00 p.m.

All other events will be held at the Moline Public Library:

The series' keynote address, Still Moving: The 1960s Civil Rights Movement and Living History will be presented by Dr. Paul Bushnell at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1st.

A book discussion of Kindred by Octavia Butler will be led by Western Illinois University-Quad Cities' Dr. Everett Hamner on Thursday, April 3rd at 7:00 p.m.  Registration is required for this event and can be done at the library or by calling 309-524-2470.

A discussion of our regional history and The Underground Railroad will be presented by Dr. Arthur Pitz on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m.

Illinois Humanities Council's Road Scholar Donna Pierce will discuss the role of food between 1915 and the late seventies in Meals on Wheels: Great Migration Recipes Ride the Rails North on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m.

Award winning Illinois folksinger Chris Valillo will perform Songs of the Civil Rights Movement on Wednesday, April 26th at 6:30 p.m.

Musician Coleman Harris, with dancer Dorian Byrd and poet Shellie Moore Guy will be Celebrating Langston Hughes on Tuesday, April 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, April 23rd at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Nancy Huse will enact the words of Ida B. Wells: Our Fearless American Foremother in a first-person, Chautauqua-style program.

Freedom Summer participant Patti Miller will discuss her civil rights era experiences in Keeping History Alive: Freedom Summer Experience 1964 on Saturday, April 26th at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Arthur Pitz returns to present Civil Rights March in Davenport on Monday, April 28th, at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, visit or call the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470 or visit the series web site at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.  Additional support was provided by the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency) as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

# # #

Q&A on the President's budget with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley                      

 

Q:        Will the President's budget be "dead on arrival" when it reaches the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday?

 

A:        It appears lawmakers from the President's own political party are set to mark "Do Not Resuscitate" on the proposal before it even crosses the legislative threshold.  In fact, the leadership in the U.S. Senate has abandoned even the pretense of producing a budget as required by law.  The head of the Senate Budget Committee announced last Friday that the panel on which I serve would not write a 2015 fiscal blueprint to avoid "relitigating" details of the two-year budget deal approved in December.  Seems like a cavalier attitude when we're talking about $1 trillion in discretionary funding that will operate government agencies, including those responsible for administering military, transportation and education dollars.  It's a slap in the face to taxpayers who foot the bill and who would face fines, penalties, liens and fees if they opted not to comply with federal tax laws.  Previews of the White House budget proposal suggest the President himself has abandoned any pretense of getting serious about putting America's fiscal house in order. And when the President pitches adding more projects and programs to the federal ledger, it may tempt lawmakers to take a bite at the shiny red apple.  But the reality is these programs would not only grow the size and scope of the federal government, they also would extend Uncle Sam's reach even deeper into taxpayers' pocketbooks.  Apples grow on trees; money doesn't.  It's reckless and irresponsible to continue lifting the lid on spending again, and again and again.  The President also has proposed to fix stagnant wages and joblessness in America by raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits. If only that would cure what ails the sluggish economy.  When the president talks about narrowing the wage gap and addressing income inequality, he's targeting the architecture of America's extraordinary system of free enterprise, productivity, innovation and economic mobility.  That's why it's so important to vet the tax and spending details of the federal budget.  What the President is selling as economic elixirs may bear negative side effects that the taxpaying public won't want to swallow.  Restoring fiscal discipline and demanding accountability for the way tax dollars are spent are a sorely needed reality check in Washington.  Economic growth is what drives the creation of good-paying jobs that will lift standards of living for people working hard to make ends meet.

 

Q:        What happens next?

A:        What the President proposes, the Congress disposes.  Despite the President's proclamation earlier this year to sidestep Congress, the legislative branch holds the purse strings and bears constitutional responsibility to write the laws of the land.  No doubt, the minority party in the U.S. Senate has an uphill climb.  That's because the majority party has shown time and again it is marching in lockstep with the White House, including the damaging decision to trample on the Senate's longstanding filibuster rules that protect the views of dissent in the greatest deliberative body in the world.  Enough is enough.   I'm not about to join the march to madness that allows America to tax, spend and borrow on the backs of generations yet to come.  With eight months to go before the midterm congressional elections, the White House seems more focused on scoring political points by pushing expansive health care and education entitlements and provoking divisive class and cultural issues rather than swallowing a dose of fiscal responsibility and tackling tax, immigration and entitlement reform to help grow the U.S. economy.  As millions of hardworking taxpayers file their tax returns in the six weeks remaining until April 15, I will continue working to hold the line on unbridled federal spending and regulatory overreach.  It's time to change the mindset that believes Washington knows best.

Monday, March 3, 2014

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