Commemoration Includes Special Display of Address, Letters and Videos from the Public, Films and Educational Events

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today announced an ambitious series of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and help people across Illinois appreciate the famed speech's impact on history. This announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to increase international, state and local understanding and appreciation of the profound impact of President Abraham Lincoln on our shared history.

"The Gettysburg Address made clear what was at stake in the Civil War - 'a new birth of freedom,'" Governor Quinn said. "Every American should understand the power of that speech. Luckily, we here in Illinois have one of the few handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address housed in the nation's top institution devoted to Abraham Lincoln's legacy."

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) will present that copy of the address in a special evening display Nov. 18. An honor guard will watch over the address as visitors file past to see it in person before the fragile document returns to the library's vault for an extended period. Visitors will also be able to visit a special exhibit of Gettysburg artifacts and enjoy dramatic readings from the acclaimed book "Team of Rivals."

Then at midnight, when the speech's actual anniversary arrives, "Abraham Lincoln" (in the form of historic interpreter Fritz Klein) will emerge to deliver the Gettysburg Address.

"Few speeches in all of history can match the eloquence and influence of the Gettysburg Address," Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Director Amy Martin said. "The 150th anniversary is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Illinoisans to celebrate the speech and the continuing success of government 'of the people, by the people, for the people.'"

The anniversary events continue through the rest of Nov. 19, with Klein delivering the address again at 1 p.m. - approximately the same time Lincoln delivered the speech in 1863. Historian James Cornelius will also host two screenings of a short film about the address and then take questions from the audience.

Historians will gather on Nov. 20 for a roundtable event to discuss the speech's significance, followed by a dramatic presentation about other important speeches that have built on the legacy of the Gettysburg Address.

Events for schoolchildren include a series of games before the anniversary week and then, when the anniversary arrives, workshops explaining the impact of the Gettysburg Address on people from different walks of life. A live webcast about the address will also be available to schools nationwide.

The ALPLM's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project is producing a booklet exploring the issues Lincoln wrestled with between the Battle of Gettysburg and his speech. "On Lincoln's Mind" will reproduce documents to and from Lincoln, with commentary on their significance. The booklet will be given away throughout the week of Nov. 18 - 24.

Several of the state's historic sites with Lincoln connections will host special events and activities leading up to the Gettysburg Address 150th anniversary. For more information, visit GettysburgAddress150.com.

Gettysburg Address 150th Anniversary Schedule of Events 

·         Building Anticipation: Mid-October - Nov. 17

Starting in October, the Lincoln Presidential Museum will have video monitors running recordings of average citizens delivering the Gettysburg Address. Some may run at full length, while others will be montages of multiple people delivering the speech. The videos will also be available online.

The museum will also display essays from the 272 Words project. The library's foundation has been contacting prominent figures and asking them to write 272-word essays (the same number of words as in the Gettysburg Address) about something important to them. Essays from ex-presidents will be on display in the Treasures Gallery.

On Nov. 5-7, the museum will host a competition in which groups from different schools race to reassemble the words of the Gettysburg Address. The puzzle, when completed, will be 18 feet by 30 feet, and the students will compete in the center of the museum.

On Nov. 16, the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the address and of Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. The address will be recited at 2 p.m., followed by a performance by the 33rd Illinois Civil War Band. Free.

Throughout the week of Nov. 10-16, the Old State Capitol will have flags on its lawn representing soldiers killed at Gettysburg. Visitors can tie ribbons to the flags to honor modern service members, living and dead. On Saturday the 16th, the Old State Capitol will be the site of a "Remembrance Day" ceremony.

On Nov. 16, the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the address and of Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. The address will be recited at 2 p.m., followed by a performance by the 33rd Illinois Civil War Band.

·         Evening Vigil: Nov. 18

The museum owns one of just five copies of the Gettysburg Address written in Lincoln's own hand, and it will be shown off the night before the anniversary. The address will be on special display in the center of the museum, flanked by an honor guard in Civil War military garb. Visitors will be able to view the address up close before it returns to the ALPLM vault for an extended rest.

The evening will also offer music from a string quartet, live readings from the acclaimed "Team of Rivals" and a special exhibit of Gettysburg artifacts.

When the actual anniversary arrives at midnight, a Lincoln historic interpreter will deliver the Gettysburg Address.

·         Anniversary Day: Nov. 19

The 150th anniversary of the address begins with Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts raising the flag outside the Lincoln Presidential Museum. The education staff will conduct workshops to help children explore the significance of the address through the eyes of different people during the Civil War.

Lincoln historian James Cornelius will host two showings of the short film "The Perfect Tribute" and take questions from the audience afterward. A historic interpreter will deliver the Gettysburg Address during the afternoon, and other costumed interpreters will mingle with visitors throughout the day.

At the Old State Capitol, students from Springfield's Japanese sister city, Ashikaga, will deliver the address.

The day ends with a flag-lowering ceremony by Civil War military re-enactors.

·         Expert Roundtable: Nov. 20

A roundtable of experts will gather at the museum to discuss the address and its legacy. This will be followed by a dramatic presentation on other important speeches that have built on Lincoln's address. During the day, more educational workshops will be held.

·         Learning Opportunity: Nov. 21-22

Outreach to children continues with additional workshops on Thursday and a special webcast on Friday. The webcast, available to schools around the country, features historian James Cornelius and an English professor explaining the speech's significance.

·         The Gettysburg Story: Nov. 23-24

Filmmaker Jake Boritt has just finished a documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg and the battlefield where Lincoln delivered his address. Boritt will screen the movie and take questions, first on Saturday for members of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and then Sunday for the general public.

·         Extras: Nov. 18-24

The ALPLM's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project is producing a booklet exploring the issues Lincoln wrestled with between the Battle of Gettysburg and his speech. "On Lincoln's Mind" will reproduce documents to and from Lincoln, with commentary on their significance. The booklet will be given away throughout the week.

The ALPLM also is producing a child-friendly poster about the address. It features the text of the address along with drawings of Lincoln, soldiers and a monument at the battlefield.

The museum gift shop will be selling an array of merchandise related to the anniversary, including graphic novels. It is also hosting historian Michael Burlingame and photographer Robert Shaw on Nov. 19. They'll sign their book "Lincoln Traveled This Way."

Monday, September 23, 2013

Senate Judiciary Committee Members Call for IG Review of Surveillance Authorities

Senators Request "a full accounting of how these authorities are being implemented across the Intelligence Community"

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of nine Senate Judiciary Committee members, led by Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley of Iowa, sent a letter Monday calling for the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to conduct a full-scale review of the use of surveillance authorities and make public the findings.

Specifically, the senators are asking for detailed information on the surveillance of Americans under FISA and Patriot Act authorities and any misuse of these authorities over the last three years. Other Senators who joined the letter include : Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona.

"We urge you to conduct comprehensive reviews of these authorities and provide a full accounting of how these authorities are being implemented across the Intelligence Community," the senators wrote. "The IC Inspector General was created in 2010 for this very purpose.  Providing a publicly available summary of the findings and conclusions of these reviews will help promote greater oversight, transparency, and public accountability."

The bipartisan letter is part of the Judiciary Committee's continuing oversight in this area.  The committee held a high-profile hearing in July featuring testimony from top administration officials. The committee will hold an additional hearing next week featuring testimony from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Gen. Keith Alexander, Director of the National Security Agency.

A copy of the September 23 letter to the IG of the Intelligence Community is below.

September 23, 2013

The Honorable I. Charles McCullough III

Inspector General of the Intelligence Community

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Washington, DC 20511

Dear Inspector General McCullough:

Recent disclosures about classified government surveillance activities have generated significant public discussion about the breadth of these programs, many of which are conducted pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the need for appropriate oversight and checks and balances.

In particular, concerns have arisen about activities conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and Section 702 of FISA, which was enacted as part of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.  Recently declassified documents appear to reveal numerous violations of law and policy in the implementation of these authorities, including what the FISA Court characterized as three "substantial misrepresentation[s]" to the Court.  These declassified documents also demonstrate that the implementation of these authorities involves several components of the Intelligence Community (IC), including the National Security Agency, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, among others.

We urge you to conduct comprehensive reviews of these authorities and provide a full accounting of how these authorities are being implemented across the Intelligence Community.  The IC Inspector General was created in 2010 for this very purpose.  Comprehensive and independent reviews by your office of the implementation of Sections 215 and 702 will fulfill a critical oversight role.  Providing a publicly available summary of the findings and conclusions of these reviews will help promote greater oversight, transparency, and public accountability.

In conducting such reviews, we encourage you to draw on the excellent work already done by the Inspectors General of several agencies, including the Department of Justice, in reviewing these authorities.  But only your office can bring to bear an IC-wide perspective that is critical to effective oversight of these programs.  The reviews previously conducted have been more narrowly focused - as might be expected - on a specific agency.

In particular, we urge you to review for calendar years 2010 through 2013:

·         the use and implementation of Section 215 and Section 702 authorities, including the manner in which information - and in particular, information about U.S. persons - is collected, retained, analyzed and disseminated;

·         applicable minimization procedures and other relevant procedures and guidelines, including whether they are consistent across agencies and the extent to which they protect the privacy rights of U.S. persons;

·         any improper or illegal use of the authorities or information collected pursuant to them; and

·         an examination of the effectiveness of the authorities as investigative and intelligence tools.

We have urged appropriate oversight of these activities long before the problems with the implementation of these FISA authorities became public.  We believe it is important for your office to begin this review without further delay.

Please proceed to administratively perform reviews of the implementation of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and Section 702 of FISA, and submit the reports no later than December 31, 2014.  Thank you in advance for your efforts to ensure a full accounting of the implementation of these surveillance authorities across the Intelligence Community.

Sincerely,

The supreme court recently issued an order either granting or denying application for further review in the cases listed below.

September 11, 2013

DENIED:

GRANTED:

Event Kicks off Opening Night Ticket Sales, $10 Seats Available

Coach Terry Ruskowski, Owner Jordan Melville to Meet Fans

MOLINE, Ill. (September 23, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards will host a preseason party this Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. outside the i wireless Center that will feature live music from Quad Cities area band Caught in the Act.

Caught in the Act's performance is just one of the highlights of the preseason party, which will also see the kickoff of individual ticket sales for the Mallards' October 19 season opener.  In addition, fans attending the party will have the chance to meet Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski and Jordan Melville, director of QCM Holdings, the Mallards' ownership group.

One of the area's most popular cover bands, Caught in the Act performs songs that are known and loved from classic rock and pop to new wave.  The band is composed of Nicole Caras (lead vocals), Jerry Freese (guitar and vocals), Gene Taets (bass, keyboard and vocals) and Sam Mesick (drums).

Single game tickets for not only the Mallards' opener against the Rapid City Rush but also for all Mallards 2013-14  home games will go on sale for the first time at the i wireless Center box office at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday.  Fans attending the pregame party will have the exclusive chance to purchase opening night lower bowl tickets for the discounted price of just $10.  The party- admission to which is free- will also offer fans the first chance to purchase Mallards merchandise newly arrived for 2013-14 season.

Ruskowski and Melville will offer their remarks on the upcoming season at the preseason party and will be joined by Mallard captain Darren McMillan in meeting and greeting the fans of the Quad Cities.  The party will also see a notable debut as the Mallards' new Ice Girls make their first appearance.

Fans will have the opportunity, courtesy of i wireless Center concessionaire Levy Restaurants, to enjoy, free of charge, samples of an array of food offerings new for the 2013-14 season and cold beverages from an outdoor beer tent.  There will also be a variety of other food and beverage items available.

Among the prizes to be raffled off are a pair of Mallards season tickets, tickets to Sheryl Crow's October 17 i wireless Center concert and seats for other upcoming i wireless Center events along with autographed Mallards memorabilia.  Younger Mallards fans attending the party will have the chance to enjoy a variety of games and activities.

The 2013-14 season will be the Mallards' seventeenth- and their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  Season tickets as well as half season tickets and flex packs are now on sale.  The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget and season ticket holders also receive a host of additional benefits, including a unique season ticket holder Mallards jersey.  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 approaching 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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