Shortstop is the youngest of 13 players selected by the league's field managers

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AUG. 30, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits shortstop Carlos Correa has been named the shortstop on the 2013 Midwest League Postseason All-Star team. The Houston Astros prospect is the youngest player on the team that was selected by the league's 16 field managers and announced by the league on Friday.

 

On a playoff-bound Quad Cities club, the 18-year-old Correa holds a .318 batting average that currently ranks third in the Midwest League and first among Houston Astros full-season minor leaguers. Correa is second in the league with a .405 on-base percentage and .868 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) average, and he also leads the River Bandits with a 138 hits, 33 doubles, and 77 RBIs in 113 games. Correa won Quad Cities Player of the Month honors in both May and June, when he hit for a combined .360 average with two home runs, 33 runs scored and 33 RBIs in 47 games.

The native of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, and the No. 1 overall pick from the 2012 First-Year Player Draft was the starting shortstop for the Western Division All-Star team in the 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game June 18 in Dayton. Correa also won the fan vote for the final roster spot on the World Team for the 2013 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game July 14 at Citi Field in New York. In both games, Correa was the youngest player.

 

Correa entered the season ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Houston Astros minor league system, according to Baseball America. In midseason prospect rankings, he was the top Astros prospect according to Baseball America, ESPN.com and MLB.com, and each of three outlets ranked him among the top 10 overall prospects in baseball.

 

Along with River Bandits pitcher and 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, Correa is part of the first-ever pair of consecutive No. 1 overall picks to play on the same Minor League Baseball team. The two were in the same lineup for seven of Appel's eight Midwest League starts this season.

 

The River Bandits have had three postseason all-stars the past two seasons, as outfielder Anthony Garcia and designated hitter Colin Walsh each earned the distinction in 2012. The Quad Cities franchise has had four Midwest League Postseason All-Stars as a Houston Astros affiliate. Outfielder Richard Hidalgo (1994), left-handed pitcher Tony Mounce (1995) and designated hitter Jim Thomas (1998) were each postseason all-stars.

 

Correa and the River Bandits (40-25 second half, 78-56 overall) will take the field at Modern Woodmen Park for their final three regular season games Saturday through Monday, and the team begins a best-of-three Midwest League Western Division semifinal with Cedar Rapids at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park.

 

UP NEXT: The River Bandits' final homestand of the regular season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 31, with a Dallas Clark Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Barrel House 211 and CBS4 when gates open at 5:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game. Fireworks will also follow the game. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at  563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

 

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for next spring, along with a carousel and other new games and attractions. This season, the team just unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, a Mediacom Frog Hopper, and a number of new bounce houses. The team also boasts a new major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, and fans can see the first team in Minor League Baseball history with back-to-back No. 1 overall draft picks - 2012 top pick Carlos Correa and 2013 top pick Mark Appel, as well as 2012 first-round draft choice Lance McCullers. With new rides, new attractions, new improvements, a new affiliate and future major league stars, the second half of this season is one every fan will not want to miss!

 

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Getting Started with the Internet, Tuesday, September 3rd. 2:00 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. This class will help you to use the Internet more effectively. Learn about some of the Library's databases, search engines, and how to move around online.  Reservation is required - space is limited.  Call the Rock Island Library's Reference Desk, 309-732-7341, to register.  Keyboarding and mouse skills required.

 

Registration is required - space is limited.  Call the Rock Island Library's Reference Desk, 309-732-7341, to register. No computer skills required.

 

Independent Movie Night, Thurs., Sept. 5, 6:00pm:

A young widow clinging to the memory of her late husband is profoundly affected by the arrival of a young photographer in her village.  97 minutes.Portuguese with English subtitles.

 

Movies (and popcorn) are free and open to the public. Movies are not rated; content may not be suitable for all.

 

Friends of the Rock Island Library host their monthly half-price book sale on Thursday, Sept. 5, 9:00am to 8:00pm, Rock Island 30/31 Branch Library, 3059 30th Street. Used book and material sale; benefits Rock Island Library programs.

 

Both events occur monthly on the first Thursday.

 

From a walking tour of Rock Island saints and sinners to a lecture program on how the early brewing industry affected the lives of women, local history is on tap at the Rock Island Library in September. The events are part of the library's partnership with Experience Quad Cities and its second-annual East West Riverfest focus on arts, culture and heritage from Sept. 6-22.  Rock Island Library events are free and open to the public.

 

Lace up your shoes for a walk among "Reformers and Reprobates." From local reformers such as Miss Ellen Gale and Minnie Potter to the reprobates of the John Looney era, Rock Island history is full of fascinating saints and sinners.

 

Hear their stories through a downtown walking tour sponsored by the Rock Island Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Local historian Jill Doak will lead a tour that encompasses several Looney-era sites, including Bill Gabel's "soft drinks" establishment, Anthony Bilburg's saloon, the Looney and Kelly office building, and the former sites of the Como and Sherman Hotels, as well as the sites of Rock Island reformers, including the Rock Island Argus building,  the Potter House, Dr. DeSilva's home, the YMCA, several historic churches, and of course, the Rock Island Library. The tour meets at 6:00 pm inside the Main Library, 401 19th Street, and then leaves the library to move around the downtown. Registration is not required, but is appreciated. Walk-ins are welcomed.  Call 309-732-7303 or email lockheart.lisa@rigov.org to sign up, so we know not to leave you behind!

 

Learn About the WPA in the Quad Cities: The Rock Island Public Library will present Dr. Jeff Hancks from Western Illinois University for a program on The WPA in the Quad Cities on Monday, Sept. 16 at 2:00 pm in the Main Library, 401 19th Street. This free program will meet in the second-floor Community Room and is open to all ages.

 

The Works Project Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were federal work relief programs begun under Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. As the largest and most ambitious of the Depression-era agencies, these programs employed millions to carry out construction, parks, and arts projects. Dr. Hancks will speak generally on the various relief projects carried out nationwide during the Great Depression and specifically on projects benefiting the Quad City area, such as the Rock Island Longview Park Greenhouse, Lock & Dam #15, the Moline Municipal Airport and Black Hawk State Park. Rock Island native Jeff Hancks is a special collections librarian at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

 

Proper Ladies & Painted Women: Women, Work, and Reform in a Wet City: Learn about the rich history of brewing in the Quad Cities, and how that industry affected the lives of local women, with a free lecture program by Augustana College professor Dr. Jane Simonsen on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. The free program takes place in the Community Room of the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street, and is open to the public.  Dr. Jane Simonsen is an associate professor of history at Augustana College, where she specializes in U.S. women's history, gender studies and Native American studies.

 

Additional events going on at the Rock Island Library during the East West Riverfest time period include free morning and evening children's storytimes,  three "Smart Start" Saturday storytimes, free Lego block construction times, the "Ripples of Inspiration" art exhibit at the Main Library, adult classes in how to use Email and Microsoft Word, and an eBook demo at the Southwest Branch. For more details about library events, visit the Rock Island Library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, sign up for an email newsletter, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323 (READ.)

 

Free copies of the East West Riverfest guide are also available at all Rock Island Public Libraries. More than 300 events at 60 different community venues are posted on the East West Riverfest website at www.eastwestriverfest.com.

Cedar Rapids - State Representative Tyler Olson, Democratic candidate for Governor issued the following statement regarding Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald's announcement today that he will not seek the office of Iowa Governor.

STATEMENT FROM REPRESENTATIVE TYLER OLSON:

"Treasurer Fitzgerald has been a dedicated public servant for the last thirty years. He has served Iowa taxpayers well by safeguarding and investing our general funds. I look forward to continuing to work with him as Treasurer as we begin to lay the groundwork for the next 30 years."

Rock Island, IL: Teaching and mutual inspiration are at the center of "Ripples of Inspiration," a new group art show at the Rock Island Main Library in September. The group show features the works of art teacher Jane L. Koski and three former students, Megan Crandall-Cooper, Holly Kimball, and Jessica Bingham-Ott.  The show will be available for viewing during Main Library hours from Sept. 3 to 30 on the second floor of the Main Library, 401 19^th Street.

"In this exhibit, I want to honor what teaching means to me," says Mrs. Koski. "In partnering with former students, I am reminded that where once I sought to inspire them, they now inspire me.  . . . They have chosen to make art a part of their lives. Like a pebble thrown into the water, we are inspired by the ripples that touch us and overlap."

The artists will present a public reception for their show on Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 5:00 to 7:30 pm in the second-floor art gallery space of the Main Library. The reception is free and open to the public.

About the artists:

Jane Leifheit Koski is an graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University with a bachelor of fine arts in art education. She also studied at Drake University, St. Ambrose University, and Black Hawk College. Mrs. Koski taught art at Rock Island High School, Orion Middle School, and Orion High School for 28 years before retiring in 2009. "I'm calling myself an escape artist these days, instead of a painter. When I work, I want my art to give the viewer the experience of a moment of peace and reflection. . . .Trees and nature are a common subject for me as I explore texture and color."

Megan Crandall-Cooper graduated from  Augustana College in 2005 with a degree in liberal studies and studio art. She went on to study web design at Black Hawk College. She currently works as the program coordinator at the Sherrard Public Library, with previous jobs including work as a freelance photographer, production assistant, graphic designer/web designer, florist, costumer, substitute teacher and wedding planner. Past activities creating pixie teas at the Quad City Botanical Center led her to create a line of polymer fairy doors, houses and gardens, in addition to costumes and fairy floral creations. Her webpage at www.spritefystudios.com features several of her creations.                               

Holly Kimball is a native of Orion and a 2011 graduate of Coe College in Cedar Rapids. She earned a bachelor of arts in art with an emphasis on painting and drawing, and was the co-recipient of the Marvin Cone Art Prize. Her paintings and drawings have been exhibited in various shows, galleries and library exhibitions in Illinois and Iowa. "My personal response to subject matter is highly crucial to my working method. It is imperative that I seen something extraordinary in my chosen subject," writes Kimball. "I use a variety of materials to allude to my underlying process and the amalgamation of transient moments. My work, then, is more than just a final product; it serves as a record of the full experience."

Jessica Bingham-Ott is currently a masters-level graduate student in fine arts,  and a gallery assistant and photographer at Bradley University. She received her bachelor's degree in art in 2012 and post-baccalaureate fellowship certificate in 2013, both at Monmouth College. Her paintings focus mainly on organic abstraction through oil and mixed media paintings. "Using Mother Nature as a factual beginning, I explore various elements of what she has provided me. I look for organic patterns, textures, and movements to influence and use those images as guidelines to expand each piece to its full capacity," she writes.

For more details about Rock Island Library events, visit the Rock Island Library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, sign up for an email newsletter, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323 (READ.)

 

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