National restaurant management & culinary arts program blends classroom learning with real-life experience

August 26, 2013 - Davenport, IA - Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs across the state are fast-tracking curriculums that provide career paths to students. With a projected growth rate of 1,000 jobs every year for the next decade, hospitality is an obvious partner industry. Davenport high schools (DCSD) have responded by implementing the ProStart® program, a two-year curriculum that teaches both culinary and hospitality management skills.

"The opportunities for young people in our industry are endless," said May Schaben, Executive Director, Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation. "The ProStart program prepares students for immediate employment and establishes a foundation for further learning. In fact, many collegiate hospitality management and culinary arts programs offer college credits for ProStart courses."

The program's satellite location is Davenport Central High School, but students from the entire Davenport Community School district are involved.

Preparing Students for Immediate Employment

The Iowa foodservice and restaurant industry currently employs 140,300 workers, or nine percent of Iowa's total workforce, and is expected to add 10,700 jobs over the next decade, the majority of which will be management level positions. Through the ProStart program, Iowa high schools are building a more prepared, highly skilled workforce to meet the industry's growing demand for professional employees. As one of 18 Iowa high schools participating in the ProStart program, DCSD students combine classroom work with mentored work experiences at local restaurants.

"We are excited that DCSD ProStart students will be connected with local industry," said Jenee Cross, DCSD ProStart Educator. "Hands-on experience is an effective way for students to connect academics to real-life situations."

Opportunities to Further Education

Once students complete all program requirements, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement, giving them access to scholarships and articulation agreements with leading colleges and universities. Currently seven community colleges across Iowa, in addition to Iowa State University, offer hospitality and management programs.

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The Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation

The Iowa Restaurant Association exists to create and promote awareness of hospitality as a professional career path and to strengthen and improve the educational offerings, opportunities and services for the advancement of the restaurant and retail beverage industries in the state of Iowa.

The 27th Annual Tri-State Agriculture Lender's Seminar will be held on Wednesday, October 30th at the Midway Best Western Hotel in Dubuque, Iowa from 9:45 am - 3:00 pm.  This year's focus is on market outlooks for livestock, grains and dairy along with the issues of crop budgeting, crop insurance and the farm bill.     

"Price risk management is getting to be the major variable for profitability in many commodity enterprises.  Understanding the markets is a necessary part of farm management assistance for agricultural lenders as well", says Larry Tranel, ISU Extension Dairy Field Specialist.  "This seminar has proven itself in assisting lenders and farm financial advisors in helping farmers manage that risk."

The cost of the program is $80 per person by October 17th.  ISU Extension in Dubuque County at 563-583-6496 or e-mail tranel@iastate.edu for registration information.  

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Quad Cities opens Championship Series with yet another playoff pitchers' duel win over South Bend

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (SEPT. 11, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Chris Devenski struck out a season-high nine batters in seven innings, right fielder Jordan Scott hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning, and third baseman Rio Ruiz hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning of a 3-2 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks in the opener of the Midwest League Championship Series at Four Winds Field at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium Wednesday night.

 

Opening its second Midwest League Championship Series in three seasons, Quad Cities took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five matchup. Game 2 will be at 6:05 p.m. Thursday in South Bend, with River Bandits left-hander Joe Bircher (3-3 regular season, 1-0 postseason) scheduled to face Silver Hawks right-hander Blake Perry (8-7, 0-0). Game 3 will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at Modern Woodmen Park.

 

Quad Cities took a lead in the third inning against South Bend right-hander Braden Shipley. Designated hitter Brian Blasik drew a one-out walk, and second baseman Tony Kemp reached on an infield single toward third. Both advanced when center fielder Teoscar Hernandez flied out to center field. Shortstop Carlos Correa and left fielder Danry Vasquez each walked to force home the first run.

 

Devenski (1-0) kept the 1-0 lead despite lone doubles in the second and third innings. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Silver Hawks first baseman Rudy Flores hit a one-out double, and second baseman Fidel Pena cracked a two-run home run to right-center field, giving his team its first lead of the game at 2-1. Devenski then retired 11 of 13 batters, including six on strikeouts, to finish his outing.

 

Shipley held the lead until Scott led off the seventh with his first home run since June 24, 2012, with the Lexington Legends. In a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh, Devenski allowed a one-out single by Silver Hawks designated hitter Justin Williams but stranded him at third by striking out left fielder Chuck Taylor. South Bend went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.

 

In the eighth inning, Correa hit a leadoff single to chase right-hander Kyle Winkler (0-1). Vasquez then grounded into a fielder's choice against left-hander Daniel Gibson, who threw a wild pick-off attempt to first base that moved Vasquez to third with one out. Gibson struck out first baseman Bobby Borchering, but Ruiz fought to a 2-2 count before grounding his first hit of the game through the right side to score Vasquez with two outs for a 3-2 lead. It was Quad Cities' only hit in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.

 

Right-hander Patrick Christensen inherited the lead and got two of the first three hitters in the eighth. With center fielder Socrates Brito at first base from his one-out single, right-hander Andrew Walter struck out Flores to end the inning. In the ninth, Pena hit a leadoff single against Walter and went to second base on a sacrifice. Walter then got a strikeout and flyout to left field to earn his third postseason save.

 

Wednesday's victory means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Thursday, Sept. 12. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits' victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Thursday, Sept. 12.

 

UP NEXT: The River Bandits will give away nine DVD players - one for each inning - and nine baseball-themed movies courtesy of American TV & Appliance in Davenport at the first Championship Series home game at 7 p.m. Saturday. Fireworks will follow the game, and 12-ounce beer and soda, as well as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and nachos are $1 each. All regular individual tickets are $5 each 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, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The Championship Series will likely be the last chance for Quad Cities fans to see 2012 No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa and many other future stars in a River Bandits uniform.

MOLINE, Ill. (September 11, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards have signed rookie defenseman Tyler Yaworski, the Mallards announced today.

"Tyler has good size and is a physical, stay at home defenseman who moves the puck well and can be a leader on the ice for us," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.

Before arriving in the Quad Cities, Yaworski, 21, will get his first taste of professional hockey when he skates in the training camp of the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild.  The Mallards last month entered an affiliation agreement with both the Iowa Wild and the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild.

Yaworksi, a 6' 3", 200-pound native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, spent the last four seasons in the major junior Western Hockey League, where he played for the Saskatoon Blades (for one game), Prince Albert Raiders and Brandon Wheat Kings.  Yaworski last season scored three goals and totaled a dozen points while piling up 147 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Wheat Kings.  Over the course of his junior career, Yaworski produced eight goals and 47 points in 227 games.  He also accumulated 525 WHL penalty minutes and easily topped 100 PIM's each of the last three seasons.

The Mallards will open their seventeenth season- and their fourth in the CHL- when they host the Rapid City Rush on Saturday night, October 19.  Mallards 2013-14 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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