October 24th, 2013 - Theatre Cedar Rapids, 102 3rd Street SE  - The 2013 Costume Run, co-presented by Theatre Cedar Rapids & NewBo City Market, will be held this Saturday, October 26th at 4pm.  With this registration you receive:
  • Race shirt for the first 250 registered
  • A Swag Bag complete with TCR sippy cup and deals at affiliate businesses
  • Free entry to the post race party with live music at the market following the race
  • Eligibility for prizes to be awarded at the awards ceremony for fastest runners and best costumes (group and individual)
  • Not having to worry about how fast you run, just how much fun you have along the way

The Costume Run is an annual tradition of an interactive and theatrical twist on the traditional 5K fun run/walk.  Scheduled to start at 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 26th, the race starts at the theatre and follows a path downtown that is focused on the trail, including Greene Square Park, along the river and features a stretch that actually runs through the Circle of Ash haunted house.  There will also be four surprise activities along the way!  Once the running is done, you will have free entry into a post party at NewBo City Market celebrating the birthdays of the Market and Hoopla, along with the race awards ceremony.  There will be live music, followed by deals at affiliate businesses for costumed runners for the rest of the night.   Need a costume?  Balloons, Etc is offering a 10% discount for race participants-just tell them you are going to be in The Costume Run!  Additional event details can be found at http://www.theatrecr.org/thecostumerun/.

 

Register through the day of the race for $35.

 

 

 

Sponsors: Theatre Cedar Rapids & NewBo City Market

 

Event Partners: Apparel1, Bankers Trust, Circle of Ash, Hoopla, ImOn Communications, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, i107.1, United Rental


About Theatre Cedar Rapids

Among the region's largest and longest-operating community theatres, Theatre Cedar Rapids is located in the Iowa Theater Building in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Founded by regionalist artist Grant Wood, TCR is a nationally-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit community theatre embarking on its 79th season of quality local programs that reach more than 60,000 eastern Iowans of all ages.  Core goals of the organization center on the quality and accessibility of programs.  During the August to July season, the 11 full-time staff, part-time help and contract artists fill more than 3,000 volunteer placements and work together to create an ambitious lineup of musicals, comedies, dramas and classics in addition to providing theatre education programs. The mission of Theatre Cedar Rapids is "to provide quality theatre, maximizing community participation and education in theatre arts to Cedar Rapids and the surrounding region."

Quick Facts:

  • 35,000 hours volunteered last year
  • Over 60,000 patrons and participants last season
  • Founded by artists Grant Wood and Marvin Cone in 1925
  • An independent certified public accountant audits the theatre annually
Friday, November 1, 2013

Special Committee of the Whole - 8:00 am

Joint Meeting with Veterans Affairs Commission- Room 638

1. Roll Call: Minard, Sunderbruch, Cusack, Earnhardt, Hancock

2. Discussion with Veterans Affairs Commission

3. Other items of interest.

After producing five acclaimed plays, one of them a world premiere, during the company's first 13 months, Davenport's QC Theatre Workshop is set to stage its first musical with the debuting Last Call: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim.

Running Friday, November 1, through Sunday, November 17 at the QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport), Last Call is an original revue of songs featuring lyrics and/or music by the legendary Sondheim, the winner of eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for 1985's Sunday in the Park with George. Lauded for such classic works as Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Company, and numerous others, Sondheim has been described by the New York Times as "the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theatre," and according to Last Call's producer and music director Tyson Danner, consequently seemed like the perfect artist to celebrate in the Workshop's first musical endeavor.

"While our first season consisted entirely of plays," says Danner, who also serves as his company's Artistic Director, "we at the Workshop have been looking forward to presenting a musical that would highlight the vast talents of Quad Cities singers. And when we had the idea of producing a revue, it only made sense to feature the songs of one of the kings of the modern musical."

Created by Danner and director Mike Schulz, Last Call features performances of more than two dozen numbers from Sondheim's musical canon - songs ranging from Dick Tracy's Oscar-winning "Sooner or Later" to Company's well-known "Ladies Who Lunch" to the rarely heard "Take Me to the World" from the 1966 TV-movie Evening Primrose.

Yet the show also weaves its songs together in the form of a mostly dialogue-free narrative (conceived by Danner and Schulz) set in a hotel bar, with a group of spouses, lovers, friends, and strangers crossing paths, reminiscing, and falling in and out of love over the course of Last Call's 90-minute running length.

Says Danner, "It's a testament to Sondheim's brilliant songwriting that each of these numbers can be interpreted in so many ways. Out of hundreds of possibilities, we chose the songs that played to our actors' greatest strengths, and they've had a blast approaching the material in different contexts."

Featured among Last Call's cast are: Erin Churchill (Circa '21's Irving Berlin's White Christmas, the District Theatre's Avenue Q); Don Denton (Circa '21's Miracle on 34th Street and The Full Monty); Angela Elliott (the District Theatre's Company and Sweeney Todd); James Fairchild (Circa '21's Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, the District Theatre's Rent); Kim Furness (Circa '21's Southern Crossroads, the Curtainbox Theatre Company's Time Stands Still); Patrick Gimm (Playcrafters' The Trouble with Cats, the Prenzie Players' The Rover); Mark Ruebling (Quad City Music Guild's Curtains, Countryside Community Theatre's Gypsy); Allison Swanson (St. Ambrose University's alumni presentation of You Can't Take It with You, the Curtainbox's Wit); and, in her area-theatre debut, Sara Tubbs (ComedySportz's "Sketchville" ensemble).

Only Elliott, who played Barbara in the springtime comedy boom, has performed in a previous Workshop production, and Danner is thrilled to have her joined by eight area talents appearing in their first show for the company.

"This season," Danner says, "we began holding open auditions for every production, and we were overjoyed to have such a strong turnout for Last Call. It has been a delight to work with both longtime colleagues and performers we haven't had the chance to collaborate with before.

"Each time an actor appears for the first time in a Workshop production, they bring new ideas that make the theatre more dynamic and exciting. We're sure our patrons are going to enjoy this incredible cast."

As with the Workshop's five previous productions, Last Call will be presented under the company's popular "Pay What It's Worth" policy, which allows patrons to determine their own ticket prices following each performance.

, call (563)650- 2396 or e-mail qctheatreworkshop@gmail.com, or visit QCTheatreWorkshop.org

Last Call: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim performances

Friday, November 1, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 2, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 3, 3 p.m.

Friday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 9, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 10, 3 p.m.

Friday, November 15, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 16, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 17, 3 p.m.

QC Theatre Workshop

1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport, Iowa, 52804

(563)650-2396

info@QCTheatreWorkshop.org

QCTheatreWorkshop.org

Facebook.com/QCTheatreWorkshop

By Dan Corcoran, United Soybean Board Value Task Force Lead and a soybean farmer from Piketon, OhioRaising soybeans looks simple. Farmers plant the seeds and the plants grow, then we harvest the mature soybeans and take them to elevators for processing. But any soybean farmer will tell you that growing this crop is much more difficult than it looks. There's soil health to contend with, as well as pests and diseases. And, of course, there's the weather.

At first glance, the current soybean-pricing system seems easy to understand, too. U.S. soybean farmers get paid by the bushel at the elevator. But it's actually much more complicated. The cash price we receive for our bushels is actually based on the estimated value that processors think they will receive for the meal and oil in the soybeans.

The soy checkoff realized the market isn't as transparent as it could be, and this could mean U.S. soybean farmers are missing an opportunity to improve their profitability simply by improving their soybeans' quality. The checkoff established the Value Task Force to explore ways to increase the overall value that farmers receive from the U.S. soybean crop.

Just as the pricing system is complicated, there isn't a cut-and-dried solution. Adding more value to the industry could mean changing the pricing system, so we're examining strategies used by other commodities, such as canola and wheat, that add value to their products. We are also looking for potential methods to improve the way soybeans are processed through companion technologies. In addition, the task force has funded exploratory research to examine the U.S. soy value chain for any other opportunities.

Just like soybean plants don't spring from the ground the day after you sow the seeds, the U.S. soy industry isn't going to transform overnight. We know that our work to add value to the industry has just begun. But the checkoff and its partners are working toward increasing U.S. soybean farmers' profitability and keeping our industry strong.

So I would suggest that all American soybean farmers take a moment to consider the protein and oil content of the beans they harvest this year. Don't know it? Might be interesting to find out. Making the industry more profitable for all of us will take all of us to make it happen, one step, or bean, at a time.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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CPA, Wealth Manager & Lawyer Share Tips for Investors

IRAs and annuities are growing in popularity as retirement investment options, according to recent surveys, but three financial experts warn they can have serious disadvantages.

"Last year, four out of 10 U.S. households had IRA accounts - that's up from 17 percent two decades ago," says CPA Jim Kohles, chairman of RINA accountancy corporation, (www.rina.com), citing an ICI Research survey. "But they can be bad for beneficiaries if you have a very large account."

Investment in annuities, touted as offering a potential guaranteed income stream, alsocontinue to grow with sales up 10 percent in the second quarter of this year.

"Annuities have several dark sides, both during your lifetime and for your beneficiaries," says wealth management advisor Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo, CEO of Pillar Wealth Management, (www.pillarwm.com). "My business partner, Chris Snyder, and I wouldn't recommend investing in them."

Putting large amounts of money in either annuities or IRAs can have serious tax consequences for your heirs, say Kohles, Ashoo and attorney John Hartog of Hartog & Baer Trust and Estate Law, (www.hartogbaer.com).

"If you want to ensure your beneficiaries get what you've saved, you need to take some precautions," Hartog says.

The three offer these suggestions:

• Take stock of your assets - you could be worth more than you think: If your estate is worth more than $5.25 million (for couples, $10.5 million), your beneficiaries face a 40 percent estate tax and federal and state income taxes, says Kohles, the CPA. "It can substantially deplete the IRA," he says.

To avoid that, take stock of your assets now - you may have more than you realize when you take into account such variables as inflation and rising property values. Be aware of how close to that $5/$10 million benchmark you are now, and how close you'll be a few years from now.

"Consider vacation and rental properties, vehicles, potential inheritances," Kohles says.

Also, take advantage of the lower tax rates you enjoy today, particularly if they're going to skyrocket after your death. "A lot of people want to pay zero taxes now and that's not necessarily a good idea," he says. For instance, if you're at that upper level, consider converting your traditional IRA to a ROTH IRA and paying the taxes on the money now so your beneficiaries won't have to later.

• No matter what your estate's value, avoid investing in annuities. Wealth management adviser Ashoo warns annuities, offered by insurance companies, can cost investors an inordinate amount of money during their lifetime and afterward.

"Insurance companies try to sell customers on the potential for guaranteed income, a death benefit paid to beneficiaries, or a 'can't lose' minimum return, but none of thosecompensates for what you have to give up," he says.

That includes being locked in to the annuity for five to seven years with hefty penalties for pulling out early; returns that fall far short of market investments on indexed annuities; high management fees for variable annuities; declining returns on fixed-rated annuities in their latter years; and giving up your principle in return for guaranteed income.

"If you own annuities and have a substantial estate, there are smart ways to unwind them to minimize damage," Ashoo says.

• Consider spending down your tax-deferred IRA early. If you're in the group with $5 million/$10 million assets, it pays to go against everything you've been taught and spend the IRA before other assets, says attorney Hartog.

"It's a good vehicle for charitable gifts if you're so inclined. And if you're 70½ or older, this year you can direct up to $100,000 of your IRA-required minimum distribution to charity and it won't show up as taxable income," Hartog says. (That provision is set to expire next year.)

You might also postpone taking Social Security benefits until you're 70½ and withdraw from your IRA instead. "That willmaximize your Social Security benefit - you'll get 8 percent more."

Finally, anyone who has accumulated some wealth will do best coordinating their financial planning with a team of specialists, the three say.

As a CPA, Kohles is focused on minimizing taxes; wealth management adviser Ashoo's concern is the client's goals and lifestyle; and lawyer Hartog minimizes estate taxes.

"We get the best results managing tax consequences and maintaining our clients' lifestyles by working together," Hartog says.

About Jim Kohles, Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo & John Hartog: 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.Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo is the CEO of Pillar Wealth Management, LLC, in Walnut Creek, Calif., specializing in client-centered wealth management. 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. All three advise ultra affluent families.

Halloween Themed Trivia Night -November 2nd, at 7:00 pm/doors open at 6:30.  Location: Knights of Columbus 1111 W 35th St, Davenport, IA 52806. This is regular trivia questions with a twist- the night is hosted by a Trivia Jockey who plays a song between questions. (To clarify, questions are not specifically Halloween OR music related) In addition, there is a prize for best costume and best themed table.

Contact Renee.luze-johnson@scottcountyiowa.com to reserve your table or call 563-326-8713.  Registration at the door or reserve in advance $10.00 per person, maximum at a table is 8. Tables can be reserved with less than 8.  Top prize $150.00.  Snacks are welcome, all beverages must be purchased at the Knights of Columbus.  Find more information at www.scottcountyiowa.com.  Event hosted by the Scott County United Way Committee.
Frank close to 5K record?
Des Moines - October 24, 2013

Learn more about the team, visit the web site Runablaze.com that includes the resume of the team athletes and past running highlights.  1300 of the best Iowa runners, race directors, coaches, volunteers & fans receive this e-mail.
____________________________________

Runablaze Iowa is sponsored by:

Iowa's best running specialty stores:
Fitness Sports - Des Moines
Runners Flat - Cedar Falls
Running Wild - Cedar Rapids, Coraville, Iowa City & West Burlington

Iowa's on-line registration leader:
GetMeRegistered.com - Bettendorf

Iowa's best races:
Red Flannel, Loop the Lake, Friendly Sons of St Patrick, Market to Market, Dam to Dam, Marathon to Marathon, Clive Running Festival, Sturgis Falls, Fifth Season, Midnight Madness, Park to Park, Capital Pursuit, IMT Des Moines Marathon and Living History Farms.
____________________________________

And now for the "News" . . .
Mason Frank won the DM Marathon 5k (Oct. 20) in 16:17 and Chris Robertson was a close 2nd in 16:25.  The course turned out to be long, potentially a quarter of a mile.  Chris states, "We split through 5k in 15:06 (Mason) and 15:14 (Chris)".  The race record was set by Runablaze Iowa teammate Brett Carter in 2011, 15:06.
Ellen Ries was 7th in the Half-Marathon 1:23:10, followed by Susie Duke in 9th at 1:23:45 and Jen Van Otterloo in 11th at 1:25:42.  Susie reacted to her time, "Since much of my training was done pushing a jog stroller, it was an unexpected PR for me."  Susie is training to do the Memphis Marathon in early December.
Daniel Sevcik was 17th in the Marathon running a 2:41:53, running the first half in 1:17:18.
********************

About Runablaze Iowa
Runablaze Iowa athletes are based throughout Iowa.  Formed in 2006, the purpose of the team is to improve post-collegiate Iowa distance running. Major Iowa running specialty stores, Iowa races and Iowa runners at those races support Runablaze Iowa.

Contact:
Cal Murdock - Team Manager
515-274-5379
calmurdock@earthlink.net

Robyn Friedman - Team President
robynpt@iowatelecom.net

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Three University of Iowa graduates are holding a red carpet premiere tour event at different college campuses around the Midwest including Purdue, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Columbia, and Grand Valley State University for their locally shot film, 'The Formula.'.  In addition to screening the film,  cast and crew members will also be present for a Q and A session and after party, including the star of the film, Brandon Baker. After starring in the Disney Channel film, 'Johnny Tsunami,' and as Mowgli in 'The Jungle Book,' this is Baker's first feature film after a five year hiatus. "The Formula," also stars Reginald VelJohnson (Carl Winslow in 'Family Matters' and 'Die Hard'), and Sasha Jackson ('Blue Crush 2').

Backrow Studios' production team Ravi Patel, Tim Nash, and Joe Clarke present, "The Formula." Also starring Second City veterans Mike Schminke and Tyler Thirnbeck, the film is the story of Quinn (Baker) and Graham (Schminke), two engineering students who discover a mathematical formula to pick up women with ease. Quinn is a hopeless romantic who falls head over heels for a young student teacher. Graham is a chauvinistic womanizer who thinks the key to finding the woman of his dreams is by wooing as many as possible. As "The Formula" follows Quinn and Graham from one date to the next, they discover that there is no shortcut to finding true love.

With many of the cast and crew also reigning from the Midwest, "The Formula" is the third film produced by Backrow Studios, LLC. Its first feature length film, "Kung Fu Graffiti," signed a contract for sales and distribution with Los Angeles -based production house Entertainment 7. The company's second feature "The Wedge" is hitting the film festival circuit, and landed three awards including Best Professional Feature at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Makers Festival.

"The Formula" was directed by Joe Clarke and Thomas Beecher, with executive producer Ravi Patel. For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact producer Joe Clarke at 712-898-5390.

Contest Open to Fans 12 and Under

MOLINE, Ill. (October 23, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards will host a Halloween costume contest for fans 12 and under this Saturday night when the Mallards take on the St. Charles Chill at 7:05 p.m. at the iWireless Center, the Mallards announced today.

Young fans attending Saturday night's game- the Mallards' final tilt at the iWireless Center before Halloween- are encouraged to deck themselves out in the most frightening or funny or downright outlandish Halloween costumes they can come up with.  The most outstanding costumes will be selected to enter the first intermission contest from which the overall winner will be selected.  The winning contestant will receive a Mallard prize package.

Tickets for Saturday's game and all other Mallards regular season home games are now on sale at Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000 or at the iWireless Center ticket office.  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.

Mallards ticket packages- including the affordable and convenient 10-Game Flex Pack- are also still available.  The Mallards offer packages to meet virtually any budget and schedule.  More ticket package information is available by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or emailing info@myqcmallards.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 are 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

-### Quad City Mallards ### -
Davenport, IA (November 2013)  Gilda's Club will host George Kovach, MD, Certified in
Internal Medicine and Hematology, physician with Iowa Cancer Specialists for a free, two-hour
Workshop covering the latest treatments for lung cancer. Our expert speaker will also discuss
side effects, side-effect management, and tools to overcome the social and emotional
challenges of the diagnosis. We hope to answer many of your questions about lung cancer to
help you (or your loved one) manage the disease more successfully. The Workshop will take
place on Thursday, November 7th at 6:00 p.m. at Gilda's Club Quad Cities, 1234 East River
Drive, Davenport, Iowa.

Advanced Registration is preferred as dinner is included.

For more details and registration, call (563)-326-7504 or email melissa@gi|dasclubqc.org

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