Explore the Musser Mansion and hear the stories of Laura Musser McColm, her family and her domestic servants. A member of the Muscatine Art Center staff will you guide you through each room of the house, explain the various collections and furnishings on display and answer your questions.

Guided mansion tours will be offered at 5:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. The guided tour on March 6th marks the debut of this program. Reservations are not required - just drop in and enjoy!

Admission for the tours is by donation. The suggested donation amount is $5 per person. The tour will last approximately 45 minutes.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Paintings from the Mississippi River Collection

• The Mary Musser Gilmore Collection of French Impressionism

• Painted and Photographic Portraits of the Musser Family and a Sculpted Bust of Laura Musser as a Child

• Listen to Historic Music Boxes

• Collection of Historic Toys

EVENT DETAILS:

What: Muscatine Art Center's Guided Mansion Tour

Who: Hosted by Muscatine Art Center Staff

When: Thursday, March 6, 2014

Time: 5:30-6:15 PM

Where: The Muscatine Art Center

Admission to this program is FREE. Suggested donation of $5 per person.

Please contact, Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions or concerns at 563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov.

The Muscatine Art Center is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursday from 10 AM to 7 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM Admission is FREE.

Event to take place on 100th anniversary of Norman Borlaug's birth

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds applauded House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders' announcement today that a statue of Iowa's Dr. Norman E. Borlaug will be installed at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 25.

"The unveiling with be a historic event and celebration of Dr. Borlaug's legacy. His agricultural innovations saved an estimated billion people around the world from hunger and starvation," Governor Branstad said. "It is a fitting tribute that our state and nation will honor Dr. Borlaug on the 100th anniversary of his birth and on National Agriculture Day."

"The installation of Dr. Borlaug's statue will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a proud moment for our state," Lt. Governor Reynolds said. "Dr. Borlaug's statue will stand in honor of all that he achieved to help so many around the world. I am very pleased visitors to the U.S. Capitol will be able to learn more about Dr. Borlaug and highlight our state's leadership in agriculture, the biosciences, and STEM education."

Dr. Borlaug, a Cresco native, dedicated his life to breeding better varieties of wheat, and working with farmers and politicians alike to improve methods and policies to alleviate hunger and malnutrition worldwide. His achievements earned him recognition as "Father of the Green Revolution" and the distinction of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian honor.

In 2011, the Iowa Legislature approved a resolution and Governor Branstad appointed the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Statue Committee to raise funds and commission an artist to design, create and install a statue of Borlaug into the U.S. Capitol Building. After conducting a worldwide artist search, the committee chose Benjamin Victor of South Dakota.

"From our decade of working together, I knew Dr. Borlaug - our state's and our country's greatest agricultural scientist - to be the most humble, hard-working and inspiring person I ever encountered," said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of Borlaug's World Food Prize Foundation and the Chairman of the Statue Committee.  "Our committee extends our profound appreciation to Governor Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds, the bipartisan leadership of the Iowa Legislature, and the entire Iowa congressional delegation for the privilege to be part of this project, as well as to the artist Ben Victor for his magnificent creation of Dr. Borlaug's statue, and DuPont Pioneer and an anonymous donor for their great generosity in funding the cost of fabricating and installing the Borlaug statue."

"The global impact that Dr. Borlaug had is an example and a challenge to all of us as we look to the future and Iowa's role in feeding and fueling a growing world," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. "The installation of this statue will be a great opportunity to celebrate Dr. Borlaug and help inspire others, especially our youth that he was so passionate about, through his amazing story."

The statue of Borlaug will be part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building, where each state is represented by two statues of notable citizens. The statue of Borlaug will replace the statue of U.S. Senator James Harlan installed in 1910, which will be relocated to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The second statue representing Iowa is of Governor Samuel Kirkwood, installed in 1913.

Iowans are invited to participate in this momentous milestone in our state's history. Visit www.iowaborlaugstatue.org information about the statue and related events, including a link to the webcast of the March 25 ceremony. That site also includes information about a documentary on this project created by Iowa Public Television, and links to resources on www.worldfoodprize.org/norm where people can learn more about the Borlaug Centennial and get involved in sharing Dr. Borlaug's mission to fight hunger.

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The Quad City International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) will be presenting a FREE Seminar on Monday, March 3, 2014 at the Western Illinois University River Drive Campus, 330 River Drive in Moline, Illinois.  The speaker will be John Sample and he will be presenting "Staying Motivated and Keeping Positive in the Workplace".  

Networking/Gathering begins at 5:30 PM, Dinner at 6:00 PM (reservation is required - meal cost is $8.00) and the speaker will begin at 6:30 PM. A short chapter business meeting will be held following the installation.

To register, please contact Marilyn McVietty by 11:00 AM by Friday,February 28, 2014 at (309) 944-6494 or email her at mcviettym@yahoo.com.

For more information, go to our website at www.iaap-quadcity.org/quadcity/meetingsevents. 

IAAP is the world's largest international association of administrative professionals. IAAP offers professional development, leadership training and networking opportunities for administrative professionals. IAAP is a non-profit, volunteer association.

Joining a professional organization demonstrates your commitment to your career. Work is most rewarding when we do it with enthusiasm and give it our best. Through IAAP you will gain knowledge, confidence and contacts that will help you advance professionally. IAAP works to build a professional image of administrative professionals in the workplace.

IAAP membership is open to all persons working in the administrative field, along with business educators, students, firms and educational institutions. There is no test of sponsorship required. Through IAAP qualified professionals can test for the certification rating, the benchmark of excellence in the administrative profession.

For more information please contact Kathy Riley at (309) 489-6122.

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Quinn Administration Helped Lead Application and Funded Key Components That Will Make Digital Hub Possible

WASHINGTON - Governor Pat Quinn today joined President Barack Obama to formally announce that Illinois had won a new digital manufacturing hub, supported by funding from state and federal governments and corporate partners. The hub will have a far-reaching impact on jobs across many industries and benefit small businesses across the nation. The White House announced a $70 million Department of Defense award for the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, which UI Labs will operate in Chicago. The support from President Obama, coupled with $16 million from the Quinn Administration, gives the institute the necessary funds to build partnerships with manufacturers and strengthen Illinois' economic comeback.

"Illinois is at the forefront of a high-tech manufacturing revolution that will make our state the center of high-tech job creation," Governor Quinn said. "This first-of-its-kind digital hub will make companies more competitive and stronger by providing them with the most cutting edge tools and technologies. It will be the birthplace for innovations that will change the world in which we live, work and play."

Earlier support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDI. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative. Blue Waters is the core of the DMDI, the key engine to generate new design, simulation and testing innovations. Blue Waters set Illinois' application apart from the other contenders for DMDI.

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDI. The Governor brought key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

Last December, the Governor joined UI Labs in announcing $5 million in state funding to support the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, a key first step in DMDI's development that helps small- to mid-sized manufacturers across the state.

Governor Quinn's administration - working with UI Labs and World Business Chicago - assembled the broad support for DMDI and directed the application for federal funding. Both the state and city of Chicago are expected to have representation on the initiative's governing board. The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) - a member-driven not-for-profit that serves as the state's technology advisor - also assisted with the proposal.

"We put together a powerful proposal that demonstrated DMDI's value to the federal government and to job creation throughout a broad region of the country," Adam Pollet, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said. "We're going to change the face of American manufacturing and we're proud that our strategic investment in a public university is what set our application apart."

"The DMDI institute provides a strong platform to connect Illinois manufacturers with the newest digital tools and provide them the know-how to build things faster, better and cheaper than China and the rest of the world," Mark Harris, president and CEO of the ISTC said. "The vision of Governor Quinn and his leadership in connecting Illinois' world-class research, technology and manufacturing strengths around initiatives like the Illinois Manufacturing Lab were instrumental in positioning the state as the hub for this Presidential initiative."

The $320 million DMDI, with $70 million funding from the Department of Defense and $250 million from other public and private partners, will apply the newest technologies to help manufacturers try and use new innovations in digital manufacturing and design, with an emphasis on defense manufacturers. This will mean better products, faster production and lower costs for U.S. manufacturers. The $16 million state investment in DMDI includes the launch of the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, additional equipment and workforce training, and providing Illinois companies with the assistance they need to utilize the DMDI. The DMDI was made possible by a strong partnership between state, federal and city officials.