MOLINE, Ill. - No matter where you're from or where you've been, everyone is special - so join in! Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and their Sesame Street friends welcome Chamki, Grover's friend from India, to Sesame Street. Together, they explore the universal fun of friendship and celebrate cultural similarities, from singing and dancing, to sharing cookies! The all-new Sesame Street Live "Make a New Friend" visits iWireless Center on Thursday, March 13. Tickets for the performance are on sale now!

Chamki is from far away and she's visiting Sesame Street for just one day! Grover has a long to-do list for his friend, from kayaking to hot yoga, but Chamki is busy enjoying cookies with Cookie Monster, singing with Abby Cadabby, and doing 'The Elmo Slide.' Will an appearance from Super Grover get Chamki's attention? Join the fun and make a memory with your friends and family!

Sesame Street Live "Make a New Friend" offers a fun-filled, interactive learning experience, including up-close and furry interactions on the audience floor! Like television's Sesame Street, each Sesame Street Live production features timeless tunes and lessons for all ages. The universal appeal of each Broadway-quality musical production continues long after preschool. Adults will appreciate the high-tech stagecraft, cleverly written script, and music they'll recognize and enjoy sharing with children, such as "Count Me In," and fun new parodies of "Hot and Cold," and "Moves Like Jagger."

Second Mallard This Week to Sign P.T.O. with Iowa Wild

MOLINE, Ill. (January 8, 2014) - Quad City Mallards forward Jim McKenzie has joined the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild on a professional tryout agreement, the Mallards announced today.

McKenzie, 29, is tied for the Mallard team lead in goals (11) and points (24) and leads the club in power play goals (4) and penalty minutes (67).  The St. Paul, Minnesota, native serves as an alternate captain and has registered a plus/minus rating of +3 while playing in each of the Mallards' first 28 games.  McKenzie was in the midst of a five-game point-scoring streak (2-4-6) at the time of his call-up.

McKenzie joins defenseman Nicholas Rioux as the second Mallard in three days to sign a P.T.O. with Iowa.  He is the fourth Mallard to be called up this season.  Goaltenders Thomas Heemskerk (Iowa) and Ty Rimmer (Oklahoma City) have also both spent time in the AHL.

McKenzie, who was originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round of the 2004 National Hockey League Entry Draft with the one hundred forty-first overall choice, is no stranger to the AHL.  He spent part of each of his first four professional seasons in the league, skating in a total of 67 AHL games and registering four goals and five assists for the Binghampton Senators, Lake Erie Monsters, Worcester Sharks and Peoria Rivermen.  McKenzie last saw AHL action in 2010-11 with Worcester and Peoria.  He spent the 2008-09 season with Binghampton, collecting five points in 44 games.

The 6' 2", 200-pound McKenzie joined the Mallards after helping the Allen Americans to the CHL President's Cup title last spring.  McKenzie arrived in Allen for the stretch run of the regular season after beginning the campaign with the ECHL's Evansville IceMen.  He notched two goals and two assists in 15 regular season games with the Americans before breaking loose for six goals and 13 points in 15 playoff games.  He recorded a goal and five assists in 12 games with the IceMen before heading to the Lone Star State.  Last year's stint was McKenzie's second with Allen.  In 2011-12, he scored twenty goals and totaled 44 points while piling up 168 penalty minutes in 54 games as an American.  The IceMen were McKenzie's fourth ECHL club.  He previously played for the Elmira Jackals, Johnstown Chiefs and Stockton Thunder.

McKenzie turned pro after three seasons at Michigan State, where he scored 34 goals and recorded 76 points in 112 games.  In 2006-07, McKenzie capped off his college career by scoring a dozen goals and producing 30 points in 35 games while helping propel the Spartans to the NCAA title.  McKenzie spent three seasons in the junior ranks with the Green Bay Gamblers and Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League before arriving in East Lansing.

The Mallards return to action on home ice tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Brampton Beast.  That game is the Mallards' first Winning Wednesday presented by T.G.I. Friday's.  If the Mallards win a Wednesday night home game all in attendance win free tickets for the next Wednesday game.  In addition, $2 beer and hot dogs will be available during Wednesday night tilts.  After each Wednesday night game, fans can join the Mallards for a postgame party at T.G.I. Friday's next to the iWireless Center.

Tickets for tonight's game and all Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.

Surprise, It's Not Only About The Price!

Corporations are holding record levels of cash, interest rates are low and the housing market is rebounding. The result? Merger and acquisitions professionals are buying more businesses and high-end homes are selling faster -- Silicon Valley had a 26 percent increase in sales of $1.5 million-and-up houses in the first half of last year.

If you're considering selling a business or property in 2014 - while business is good and before mortgage rates climb - keep in mind: Focusing only on the price can short-change you in the long run.

"A lot of sellers are rushing to close the deal because they're worried about what may be around the corner," says attorney John Hartog of Hartog & Baer Trust and Estate Law (www.hartogbaer.com). "My first rule: Sell smart, not fast."

Sales of commercial properties were up 11 percent in the third quarter of last year, notes wealth management advisor Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo, CEO of Pillar Wealth Management (www.pillarwm.com).

"These sales can constitute a significant money event, so you have to consider how they may impact your future lifestyle needs," he says.

Adds CPA Jim Kohles, chairman of RINA accountancy corporation (www.rina.com):

"And you have to factor in how the transaction will affect your tax position. A great sales price doesn't look so good if it costs you more in taxes."

The three offer these tips for a successful business or residential property sale:

• Know the true value of your business! A surprising number of entrepreneurs have an unrealistic idea of what their business is worth, says attorney Hartog. He tells of a man who owned a large chain of fast-food franchises. "He told everyone he knew the business was worth $150 million. After he died ... the business was sold for $35 million." That resulted in a drawn-out lawsuit by relatives of the man who accused the sellers of under-valuing the company. "Whether you're selling a business or real estate, get it appraised," Hartog advises. "It may sound obvious, but I've seen savvy business owners make big mistakes due to delusions of value."

• How confident are you that the transaction will help you maintain the lifestyle you want? Before their clients take one step toward moving forward on a significant sale, wealth managers Ashoo and his partner, Chris Snyder, analyze how it might affect them in the future. "This is a must-do step. You need to have confidence that this money event will help you maintain your lifestyle until you're in your 90s," Ashoo says. He and Snyder run the transaction through an  economic simulation factoring in major world and financial events since 1925, then use the information to project its future effect on the client. "If we're not 75- to 90 percent confident that it will help them reach their goals and maintain their lifestyle, we advise the develop a Plan B -- or not sell at all."

 

• The pre-tax price and the after-tax price must both be part of the negotiations. Getting the highest price for your business won't result in the most net gain if you end up paying a high tax rate on the proceeds, notes accountant Kohles. If you sell the shares in your company, you'll pay a lower tax rate. If you sell the physical plant, you'll pay a higher rate. In the first case the buyer is on the losing end of the tax question; in the second you are. "You have to package the deal so that there are some tax advantages for both of you; this is where having professional help is crucial," he says. If you've taken depreciation on the equipment, you'll pay a higher rate. Sales of some assets, such as patents, are taxed at the lower capital gain rate. Selling your goodwill - elements of the business that relate to the value of your relationships - allows your buyer to write off depreciation.

About John Hartog, Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo  & Jim Kohles: John Hartog is a partner at Hartog & Baer Trust and Estate Law in Orinda, Calif.  He is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law, and taxation law. Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo is the CEO of Pillar Wealth Management, LLC, in Walnut Creek, Calif., specializing in client-centered wealth management. Jim Kohles is chairman of the board of RINA accountancy corporation of Walnut Creek, Calif. He is a certified public accountant specializing in business consulting, succession and retirement planning, and insurance. All three advise ultra affluent families.

Auction Benefits Genesis Health Services Foundation's Flu-Free QC Program

Free Mallards Youth Replica Jerseys for First 1,000 Fans 12 and Under

Courtesy of Scott County Family Y and Two Rivers YMCA

MOLINE, Ill. (January 7, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards will wear special edition affiliate jerseys when they take on the Arizona Sundogs Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at the i wireless Center and those jerseys will go up for bid in a live auction immediately following the game to benefit the Genesis Health Services Foundation's Flu-Free QC program. 

The Mallards, who are in their first season as an affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, Saturday night will don cream-colored affiliate jerseys bearing "Quad City Mallards" across the chest in Mallard green script and the team's secondary duck logo on the shoulders.

"The money raised at this annual auction is used to provide essential health care services to our neighbors throughout the QCA.  On behalf of that grateful community, I thank the Mallards for their on-going commitment to the health and well-being of their fans and friends," said Ken Croken, vice president of corporate communications and marketing, Genesis Health System.

Last season, the Mallards teamed with Genesis for a pair of jersey auctions that raised better than $46,000 for both the Genesis Flu-Free QC campaign and for Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation.  Over the past 19 years, Mallards jersey auctions have raised over $700,000 to benefit Genesis Health System Charities.

"The generosity and community-mindedness of Mallards fans is something that has impressed me hugely since I arrived here a year ago," said Mallards president Bob McNamara.  "Their willingness to do so much for a cause like the Genesis Health Services Foundation that does such valuable work and provides so many important services for this community is something we are deeply thankful for."

Saturday's event is the first of the Mallards' two Genesis jersey auctions this season.  Another one-of-a-kind set of game worn jerseys be auctioned off following the Mallards' Saturday, March 8 game against Arizona.

This Saturday evening will also see the first 1,000 fans ages 12 and under through the doors at the iWireless Center receive free Mallards youth replica jerseys courtesy of Scott County Family Y and Two Rivers YMCA.

Tickets for Saturday night's game can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.

About Genesis Health System

Genesis Health System, its affiliates and partners offer a full continuum of health care services.  Genesis Health System's affiliates include : acute and tertiary hospital care at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport and DeWitt, Iowa and Genesis Medical Center, Silvis and Aledo in Illinois; home health and hospice services through Genesis VNA and Hospice; Genesis Workplace Services, including occupational health, employee assistance and wellness services for employers and their employees; the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House; senior living facilities offering rehabilitation and long-term care; Genesis Health Group, with more than 170 primary care physicians and specialists; a Family Practice Residency program; Genesis Psychology Associates; three Convenient Care clinics; and Genesis Home Medical Equipment.  Partners include the Genesis Medical Park, Crow Valley, Genesis Imaging Centers and Spring Street Surgical Center, Davenport. Genesis Health System serves a 10-county area of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.  Genesis also manages Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa, Iowa. For more information, visit www.genesishealth.com.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards in the midst of their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

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