3 Reasons Girls Need Music as Much as Math

One simple yet profound quote by Emily Dickinson might summarize the position of women throughout much of the history of the United States: "I dwell in possibility."

Today, women have choices that most of their predecessors just a half century ago did not. Professions once dominated by men are open to them; they can have a successful career and a family -- or choose to remain independent throughout their lives.

"As we observe Women's History Month in March, we need to take stock of our past but also look to the future," says Elayne James, author of "Destiny's Call," the first installment of the young adult fantasy series "The LightBridge Legacy," (www.lightbridgelegacy.com).

"This year's emphasis during Women's History Month is on the STEM fields - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. I understand that the United States is lagging in these disciplines, but I join my voice with the many who feel the arts and STEM education should not be mutually exclusive. Both are equally important, and actually very complementary fields of study, for both girls and boys."

James reviews the many ways in which the arts can benefit a young woman's education:

• Mentors and outside-the-box teaching: Young girls need to learn in many different ways and by using all their senses, including their innate creativity. "Parents and educators in the STEM disciplines often have a clear agenda for kids, but mentors in the arts teach students to tap into a more personal well," says James. "That kind of individual evolution supports girls heading into their teen years by instilling a level of confidence and sense of self that traditional education doesn't always provide. They will be better equipped for the emotional complexities and challenges of being young women."

• Ample studies supporting academic improvement: Research throughout the past decade and earlier consistently show students who participate in arts perform higher on tests involving critical thinking, reading comprehension, oral examinations and various standardized tests. Studies from the Arts Education Partnership, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Rand Corp., Johns Hopkins University and several school districts reveal comprehensive benefits to arts education, including an improved ability to adjust to real-world circumstances.

• The STEM fields are not monolithic: Anyone who thinks the STEM disciplines do not require creative thought does not understand them, James says. As in the visual arts, music and literature, there are rules to follow in STEM, but advances in these fields come with inspiration and ingenuity. "What better way to illustrate creative genius than with the arts?" she says. "Women's History Month is a reminder of the strides women have made in every field - a young girl is not an island unto herself, and neither are her interests."

•  A reason to stay in school: James credits the arts for saving her academic career. "I'd fallen in with a bad group in high school my freshman year; kids who didn't care about school and thought it was 'cool' to defy authority," she says. "I began ditching class every day. If it weren't for acceptance into one of the school's musical arts programs, my life would've been very different. Instead of becoming a high school dropout, I became an honor student, going from 'F's to 'A's, from hating school to loving it. Because of music, I graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and got into a good college. The arts literally transformed my life."

"The arts programs keep kids interested and involved in school, keeps their cognitive skills sharp, and provides vital social interaction, fostering rich relationships that can last a lifetime," says James. "Art teaches the perception of beauty. It is essential humankind. Without it we would surely perish."

About Elayne James

Elayne G. James has been a lifelong advocate of the arts. In addition to being an author, she has been a recording artist, a Hollywood sound effects editor, a successfull playwright, a theatrical lighting designer, a graphic artist and a professional photographer. Through her series The LightBridge Legacy, she inspires young people to embrace their individuality and believe in themselves. She lives in Southern California.

Los Angeles, Calif., February 20, 2013 - Fitness Ridge Worldwide, the parent entity of The Biggest Loser Resort, today announced that it will open its next destination resort this spring outside Chicago.  The Biggest Loser Resort - Chicago will open in May 2013 in Itasca, Ill. within the AAA Four Diamond rated Eaglewood Resort and Spa.  Offering the same award-winning, results-oriented program that guests have come to expect and enjoy at the company's other locations, The Biggest Loser Resort-Chicago will be the first to feature "Four Diamond" accommodations, a championship golf course, and a breathtaking 75- foot indoor pool. This  location addresses the repeated requests of  guests from the Midwest and Canada to locate a resort closer to home.

The Biggest Loser Resorts cater to adults of all fitness levels (and teens 14 and older) and focuses on exercise, healthy nutrition and education. The Resorts' inspiration stems from what contestants on NBC's hit weight loss series "The Biggest Loser" experience during their time on the show.  Spas of America recently recognized The Biggest Loser Resort in their Top 100 Spas of 2012 listing: Utah was #1 and Malibu was #4. The Resorts have also received numerous readers' choice awards from SpaFinder, and were recently named one of the top fitness vacation destinations by Greatest.com.

"Expanding into Chicago is a very exciting step for us, and this resort will allow us to continue our expansion into  corporate wellness," said Larry Bond, CEO, Fitness Ridge Worldwide, LLC. "Workforce health care costs are spiralling out of control, and onne way to stem these costs is to prevent the chronic and complex diseases linked to being overweight and obese. Companies will now be able to combine traditional corporate training and retreats with a wellness solution that can work within the parameters of their business meeting."

The Biggest Loser Resort - Chicago is located just minutes from O'Hare International Airport airport, and sits on 106 acres offering three beautiful lakes and a championship golf course.  The Biggest Loser Resorts offer a minimum one-week wellness and weight loss program that combines morning hikes and an array of daily fitness classes, including kickboxing, yoga, spinning, biking, water aerobics, and others - all under the close supervision of certified personal trainers. In addition to expert fitness professionals, The Biggest Loser Resorts also feature onsite health practitioners, dietitians, nutrition experts, and executive chefs who prepare calorie-conscious, nutritionally balanced yet delicious spa cuisine meals.  The Resorts offer award-winning, on-site spas with a robust menu of massage options, aesthetics, acupuncture and other rejuvenating therapeutic treatments.

The Biggest Loser Resort-Chicago, is scheduled to open in May 2013. Advance reservations are currently being taken at (877-825-8878).  For more information about The Biggest Loser Resorts, please visit www.biggestloserresort.com

About The Biggest Loser Resort

Since 2009, The Biggest Loser Resort has provided programs that encourage and empower people to lose weight and achieve balance in their lives through a strategic combination of fitness, nutrition, education, relaxation and extraordinary camaraderie.  Compassionate, world-class trainers and nutritional staff have helped many resort guests build endurance, know their bodies' unique cues and triggers and transform their relationships with food in a safe, supportive environment.  The Biggest Loser is a registered trademark and copyright of NBC Studios, Inc. & Reveille LLC. Licensed by NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group 2013. All rights reserved.

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What: International Week at Rivermont Collegiate

 

When: Monday, 2/25 - Friday, 3/1

 

Why: To celebrate the diversity of our school community!  This year, theme days will be celebrated by continent.

 

Mon. - South America

Tues. - Europe

Wed. - Asia

Thurs. - Africa

Fri. - Australia

 

Special Events with GREAT Photo Opportunities:

 

Zumba! - Monday, 2/25 (South America Day)

(with Rivermont parent and owner of local studio Salsa Touch Latin Dance, Bettinna Bolger)

Grades 6-12 - 1:45-2:30 p.m.

Grades K-5 - 2:45-3:15 p.m.

 

African Dance - Thursday, 2/28 (Africa Day)

(with Rivermont parent Karen Roebuck)

Grades K-12 - 8:20 a.m.

 

International Food Festival - Friday, 3/1

A Carnival of Continents - take your tummy around the world with cooking demonstrations, parade of nations, and more - see attached flier!

3:30 -5:00 p.m.
Iowa Supreme Court Opinions

February 22, 2013

Notice: The opinions posted on this site are slip opinions only. Under the Rules of Appellate Procedure a party has a limited number of days to request a rehearing after the filing of an opinion. Also, all slip opinions are subject to modification or correction by the court. Therefore, opinions on this site are not to be considered the final decisions of the court. The official published opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court are those published in the North Western Reporter published by West Group.

Opinions released before April 2006 and available in the archives are posted in Word format. Opinions released after April 2006 are posted to the website in PDF (Portable Document Format).   Note: To open a PDF you must have the free Acrobat Reader installed. PDF format preserves the original appearance of a document without requiring you to possess the software that created that document. For more information about PDF read: Using the Adobe Reader.

For your convenience, the Judicial Branch offers a free e-mail notification service for Supreme Court opinions, Court of Appeals opinions, press releases and orders. To subscribe, click here.

NOTE: Copies of these opinions may be obtained from the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319, for a fee of fifty cents per page.

No. 11-0719

STATE OF IOWA vs. JEFFREY ALAN SCHORIES

No. 12-1927

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARY FLORENCE WHALEN, Deceased. MICHAEL WHALEN

Kids Help Make a Bandage Cure More Than a Boo-Boo

--Winning Entries in the Bandage Art Contest Featured in New Line of Bandages ...

With 100% of Profits Donated to Help Fight Pediatric Cancer --

New York, February 2013-- Hundreds of children throughout the country have shared their messages of hope and inspiration for kids battling cancer - through a unique opportunity to create their very own line of Ouchies bandages.  After reviewing the hundreds of entries, and after thousands of people cast their votes for their favorite design via Facebook, the winners of the "Ouchies for Others" Pediatric Cancer Bandage Art Contest have been selected  - with five winning entries about to see their designs featured on a new line of Ouchies Bandages to be available this Summer.

The winners of the "Ouchies for Others" Pediatric Cancer Bandage Art Contest are:

  • ·       Amber Moosvi, Age 17, Des Plaines, Illinois

o    Name of artwork: "Broken Bear"

o   Story behind artwork: The picture that I made represents two things. The Teddy Bear with a bandage and the feel better soon balloon represents that I'm not completely better but soon I will be because my broken bear has a bandage.  The stars represent all of the people who support me in my battle with Brain Cancer. I couldn't fit everyone because I have so many people supporting me and I appreciate them so much.

  • ·       Sammy Smith, Age 13, Sandusky, Ohio

o   Name of artwork: "You're Almost There"

o   Story behind the artwork: Just remember that every time you get a poke or surgery that you are one step closer!  That's what keeps me going!

  • ·       Tenia Richardson, Age 9, Michigan

o   Name of Artwork: "Love is Cure"

o   Story behind the artwork: I believe with enough love you can cure anything to make a brighter day.

  • ·       Laura Vargas, Age 10, San Antonio, Texas

o   Name of Artwork: "You Can Be Pain Free"

o   Story behind the artwork:  I wanted to do this because I had cancer myself so I wanted other kids not to let themselves down and show them that you can have fun during cancer treatment and never give your hopes up and look cool with my bandage.

  • ·       Erin Lisk, Age 12, Howell, New Jersey

o   Name of Artwork:  "Never Give Up"

o   Story behind the artwork:  My Mom had cancer and even though it was painful, she never gave up.  Now she is happy and healthy.

Through the "Ouchies for Others" program, Ouchies gives 100% of profits from the sale of this unique line of bandages to varied not-for-profit organizations.  All profits from the sale of these new bandages will be going to benefit the important work being done by three national pediatric cancer organizations: The Childhood Leukemia Foundation, Cookies for Kids' Cancer and the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

More than 400 children submitted their designs for the "Ouchies for Others" contest, which gave them the opportunity to tell their own story about the fight against pediatric cancer or anything else uplifting - with the chance to have their designs featured in the new "Ouchies for Others" bandages and tin.  Some offered words of encouragement and a message to "Stay Strong."  Others drew intricate, colorful designs geared to make others smile.  A few know exactly what it's like for a child to have cancer because they have battled the disease themselves -- and many others know someone who has been impacted by childhood cancer and wanted to do whatever they can to help.  Each entry told its own special story - and deciding on a winner wasn't easy.

"We wanted to give children the opportunity to help other kids in need, whether its an encouraging word, uplifting picture or story," says Ian Madover, CEO of Ouchies, who developed the "Ouchies for Others" program as a way to raise awareness, and funds, for not-for-profit organizations serving the needs of children.  "Kids with cancer get pricked many times a day and we thought it only makes sense to put the two together."

All contest entries can be viewed online at www.ouchiesonline.com/bandage-art-contest.  The five winning entries were selected based on a panel of judges voting from a pool of 10 finalists that had received the most "likes" on Ouchies' Facebook page.

"We are thrilled that so many children entered our contest, and were truly touched by the beautiful designs and stories they created and shared with us," says Jennifer Saporta, Director of Sales & Marketing at Ouchies. "The 'Ouchies for Others' program has given us the unique opportunity to work with amazing organizations dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children with cancer. We are beyond honored to be able to partner with them and help to increase their tremendous efforts in the fight against pediatric cancer."

For more information on Ouchies for Others and the Bandage Art Contest, visit www.ouchiesonline.com. For more information on the partner organizations, or to make a donation, visit The Childhood Leukemia Foundation (www.clf4kids.org), Cookies 4 Kids' Cancer (www.cookiesforkidscancer.org), and The American Childhood Cancer Organization (www.acco.org).

IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - "Everybody in your organization benefits when you delegate responsibilities that fall outside your core competency. Thoughtful delegation will allow someone else in your organization to shine. Your weakness is someone's opportunity."
That compelling quote on leadership comes from Andy Stanley, a renowned leadership communicator, author, pastor, and the founder of North Point Ministries, Inc. Each month, well over a million people worldwide enjoy Stanley's teaching content via TV, radio, podcasts, and live streaming. Stanley's books include The Next Generation Leader, Visioneering, Enemies of the Heart, and The Principle of the Path.
Stanley was a speaker at the national leadership event, Leadercast 2012, and a video of his presentation will be shown at the March Chick-fil-A Leadercast Recap Lunch & Learn event, sponsored by Results Marketing and St. Ambrose University.
The Lunch & Learn event will be held noon to 1 p.m., Friday, March 1, at the St. Ambrose University Downtown Education Center, located in the New Ventures Center at 331 W. 3rd St., Davenport, IA 52801. Cost to attend is $15 per session and includes lunch from Chick-fil-A.
A limited number of seats are available at the Lunch & Learn event, so be sure to register early. Another Lunch & Learn event featuring best-selling author Patrick Lencioni will be held April 5.
For the past three years, Results Marketing and select sponsors have been bringing simulcasts of the Chick-fil-A Leadercast to the Quad-Cities area. Each year, Leadercast is broadcast live from Atlanta, Georgia, to audiences in metro areas worldwide.
"The speakers who present at Leadercast each year are acclaimed leadership experts," said Todd Ashby, Managing Partner of Results Marketing. "At our Lunch & Learn events, attendees can watch enlightening videos of the speakers and discuss their content with other area professionals." Each Lunch & Learn session is facilitated by a St. Ambrose faculty member.
"We will be hosting a new day-long QC Leadercast event on May 10, 2013 at the i wireless Center," Ashby said, "so anyone thinking of attending the May event should attend these Lunch & Learn events to get a feel for the topics to be discussed. Also, all of our Leadercast events offer excellent networking opportunities."
To register for the Lunch & Learn events or for more information, call Marcia Brandt of Results Marketing at 563-322-2065 or email Marcia@resultsimc.com. Feel free to befriend Leadercast Quad Cities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/qcleadercast.
-- End --

Due to Winter weather conditions, this event has been postponed.  --- Editor, Tuesday Feb 26 2pm

"Peace Soup" - the annual supper and discussion series held on Tuesday evenings throughout Lent will feature former Iowa State Senator Maggie Tinsman on Tuesday, February 26th, at 6 pm in St. Boniface Hall, 2520 Pershing Blvd., Clinton.

On February 26th, former Iowa State Senator, Maggie Tinsman will lead a discussion on "Human Trafficking" which is among the largest and fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world.  While active in the State Senate, Ms. Tinsman introduced the legislation that made human trafficking a felony in Iowa.

Tinsman, currently operates a consultant business, "Maggie Tinsman, LLC", specializing in early childhood education development, lobbying for health and human services issues, and promoting elected public service for women.  She and Jean Lloyd-Jones, also a former Iowa State Senator, founded an organization called 50/50 in 2020 to recruit, train, and mentor women for elected positions.  Currently, Tinsman has become a major speaker on the "Global and Local Problems of Human Trafficking".

Tinsman's past experiences include serving as an elected official for the Scott County Board of Supervisors for eleven years and then going on to serve as an Iowa State Senator for 18 years.  Honors include recognition as Quad Cities Woman of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Iowa Social Worker of the Year, Child Abuse Council Priorities Award, and Coalition of Family and Children Services Award, among others.

Tinsman earned her BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and later received her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Iowa.  In 2008, she received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service Degree from St. Ambrose University. Currently, she serves on the Boards of Iowa Public Health, Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council, American Lung Association of Iowa, Iowa Legal Aid Foundation, SAL Families and Community Services, and Scott County KIDS Board.

For the 7th year, Prince of Peace Parish Pax Christi and the Clinton Franciscan Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking are co-sponsoring the free series which includes a simple supper of homemade soup and bread followed by a program and discussion.  This year the programs center on the topic of faith's response to violence.  And this year, the series is being held on Tuesday evenings.

"Everyone is welcome," said Pax Christi chair, Gabriela Egging, "All anyone need bring is an appetite for good conversation and for good soup."

Details on the 2013 Peace Soup series are available at www.jcpop.org and at www.clintonfranciscans.com or by calling Prince of Peace Parish at 563-242-3311 or Sisters of St. Francis, 563-242-7611.  The series is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

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Diplomacy By Osmosis
Lack Of Training In Foreign Service Hurts National Security, Expert Says

Imagine the following scenario: A 29-year-old restaurant manager becomes a U.S. diplomat. Five years later, he is appointed the founding director of the Arabian Peninsula office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), a major State Department program aimed at creating and strengthening civil society in a region vital to global stability.

The young diplomat has little idea how to do his new job. He speaks no Arabic, he has never managed people or a budget outside a restaurant, let alone $2 million of taxpayers' money. He knows almost nothing about democracy promotion and institution-building, and even less about grant-making -- and he is supposed to find non-governmental organizations in eight countries and award them grants to build an alternative to the authoritarian regimes across the Middle East.

Despite the diplomat's obvious inexperience, he is sent to his new post in Abu Dhabi without a day of training. The State Department expects him to learn how to do his job by osmosis, to watch colleagues, figure things out on his own and improvise.

There is no need to imagine this scenario -- it actually happened in 2004 to Hans Wechsel, an American diplomat or, to use his official title, a Foreign Service officer. Wechsel, who has an undergraduate degree in secondary education and managed restaurants in Montana and Oregon before joining the service in 1999, is the first to admit that his performance in Abu Dhabi suffered from the lack of training.

Wechsel is one of 600 diplomats interviewed at 52 U.S. embassies around the world by Nicholas Kralev for his new book, "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy," www.americasotherarmy.com.

So why did the State Department send a diplomat without the necessary skills -- and more importantly, without any training -- to a critical posting in the most volatile of regions that was about to experience the monumental changes of what later became known as the Arab Spring?

"Wechsel's experience is actually very common in the Foreign Service, if not the norm," says Kralev, who covered the State Department for 10 years for the Financial Times and the Washington Times.

"Wechsel did quite well in Abu Dhabi given the circumstances, but he wishes he had arrived there with at least some of the knowledge and experience he acquired on the job. The big question is: Could the U.S. response to the Arab Spring have been more effective had American diplomats there been better trained?"

As made clear in the National Security Strategy, the White House has charged the Foreign Service with nothing short of changing the world. It has decided that the only way for the United States to be truly secure and prosperous is for the entire world to be secure and prosperous -- and it's the Foreign Service's job to help bring that world about.

"So if our very security and prosperity depend on how well American diplomats do their job, why doesn't the United States invest in diplomats' professional development?'' Kralev asks. "There are many talented, capable and downright heroic Foreign Service officers, but how many of them would have done even better than they have if only they had received proper training?

"Hopefully, Secretary of State-designate John Kerry, President Obama and Congress are all asking these questions."

About Nicholas Kralev

Nicholas Kralev is an author, journalist and lecturer on international affairs, diplomacy and global travel. A former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent, he has traveled around the world with four U.S. secretaries of state - Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright -- and visited more than 80 countries. He is the author of "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy" and "Decoding Air Travel: A Guide to Saving on Airfare and Flying in Luxury." He is also the founder and CEO of Kralev International LLC, an air travel consulting and training company. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

SPRINGFIELD - February 21, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn released the below statement following today's introduction of House Bill 2615 to create a regulatory framework for hydraulic fracking. The governor directed members of his cabinet to help negotiate the bill to ensure the strongest environmental protections possible.

"Today's proposal is good news for Southern Illinois and our entire state's economy. This legislation has the potential to bring thousands of jobs to Southern Illinois, while also ensuring that Illinois has the nation's strongest environmental protections.

"I am committed to creating jobs and economic growth in every part of Illinois, and always making sure our water and natural resources are protected for future generations.

"I want to thank everyone who's been working hard in good faith on this issue. While there is more work to be done, this proposal moves us forward."

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PORT BYRON, IL - State Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) invites residents to participate in an interactive webinar on state employment for persons with disabilities on Wednesday, February 27 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM at his office, located at 201 N. Main St., Unit 2 in Port Byron.

"The job market can be tough to crack for everyone, and for people with disabilities the challenges can, unfortunately, be even greater," said Smiddy. "Eliminating barriers for persons with disabilities to access the job market and obtain good-paying, long-term employment is extremely important to the overall economic health of the state and the future of many individuals in our area."

Smiddy will be in Springfield on February 27th, as the General Assembly will be in session. However, he felt it was important to provide local disabled veterans access to an online workshop to help in their job searches. The webinar features presentations on state programs that can help connect persons with disabilities with employment resources, including Illinois Job Link, a web-based tool that connects Illinois employers with employees; the Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitative Services; and the Successful Disability Opportunities Program to expand state work opportunities for disabled workers. Attendees will be able to ask questions through the webinar's chat function.

"I am always looking for new, innovative ways to create jobs in our communities and will continue to work with local business leaders and citizens to develop the economic policies that will put our neighbors back to work," Smiddy said. "Even though I can't be present, I want to make sure that all area residents know they can turn to me and my office for assistance."

For more information on employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, visit Work 4 Illinois at www.work.illinois.gov/disabpgm.html or the Illinois Department of Employment Security at www.ides.illinois.gov/page.aspx?item=200.

To RSVP for the webinar, contact Smiddy's office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com, (309) 848-9098, or toll free at (855) 243-4988.

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