WELCOMING NEW MEMBER!

Sally Hand - Realtor, Remax River Cities. Ms. Hand has been in real estate in one capacity or another for twenty six years, and was formerly with ReMax on the Lake in North Carolina before recently moving to Iowa. Contact number - 434-774-5855 realestaterivercities.com

CALENDAR

June 28th - Live Music at Wide River Winery 106 N. Cody Road - 5-8 pm featuring "The Old 57s".  www.wideriverwinery.com

June 29^th - Faithful Pilot Cafe & Spirits Open for Lunch 11am-2pm 3 different sandwiches and chips for $5 www.faithfulpilot.com

June 30^th - Wine Tasting at the Faithful Pilot Cafe & Spirits 3:00-5:00 P.M.  $15 per person Taste 14 wines and heavy appetizers from The Faithful Pilot www.faithfulpilot.com

July 1st - The Friends of the LeClaire Community Library will be hosting an Open House 5:00-7:00 p.m. to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the LeClaire Community Library. There will be refreshments, tours, membership and endowment information as well as the opportunity to bid Library Director Sue Mannix farewell before she takes on her job as the Director at the Bettendorf Public Library. www.leclairelibrary.org

July 5^th - First Friday in LeClaire - 5-8 p.m.

LeClaire Firefighters Association Annual Water Fights - Friday, July 5th in conjunction with LeClaire's First Friday event. Registration: 5:30 p.m. Fights start: 6:30 p.m. along the Mississippi on the LeClaire Levee. No entry fee.  Double elimination trophies awarded to top 4 places. Contact: LeClaire Fire Rescue Dept. - 563-289-6044 or Greg Chapman at 563-210-8528 for more information.   

Mississippi River Distilling Company - 5:30-8p.m. Signature Cocktails in the tasting room and food items prepared by our Spirited Chef!!  Strawberry Vodka is Back - Cheers!!  www.mrdistilling.com

Wide River Winery Wine samples, open until 8PM; featuring samples of "Peach Bellini's" and serving dips paired with award winning locally made wines. Recipes available. www.wideriverwinery.com Live Music at the Wide River Winery Tasting Room from 5-8pm featuring "Danika Holmes" 106 N. Cody Road www.wideriverwinery.com

Aunt Hattie's Fanciful Emporium Come in for a free red velvet cupcake!

Razzleberries Come in to shop and get free samples of booze cake (while it lasts)!

Other shops and restaurants will be open late!

July 7th Live Music at Wide River Winery Tasting Room featuring "Joe & Vicki Price Blues" from 2-5pm 106 N. Cody Road www.wideriverwinery.com

July 9^th - Blue Iguana - LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Networking Lunch noon - Everyone welcome to attend! www.leclairechamber.com

July 12th Live Music at the Wide River Winery Tasting Room 5-8pm featuring "Ellis Kell and Tony Hoeppner" 106 N. Cody Road www.wideriverwinery.com

July 13^th - Trivia Night - LeClaire Civic Center hosted by LeFirst Presbyterian Church of LeClaire. Doors open at 6:30; game starts at 7 pm. Cost $10 per person; call 563-381-7777 to pre-register individuals or a table. We are raising money for the Hurricane Sandy Victims. Bring your own snacks and drinks or purchase something there. 

July 15^th-19^th - LeClaire Baptist Church - "Colossal Coaster World" VBX Week For kids age 4 up through kids going INTO 6^th grade! Cost: FREE! Time:  9:00 AM - Noon Location:  1326 Wisconsin Street LeClaire, Iowa  52753 Family program:  SUNDAY, July 21 at 10:30 a.m. followed by our "Burger Bash" lunch! For more information or registration: phone:  (563) 289-4191 e-mail:  leclairebaptist@leclairebaptist.org or REGISTER ONLINE at www.leclairebaptist.org (under ministries and kids vbx link)

July 18^th - First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire - Funeral Planning At the time of death, decisions can be difficult. This program will help you plan your own funeral or help you think about decisions when planning another's funeral. Lunch at 11:30, program and discussion to follow. No cost; please call 563-381-7777 to pre-register.

July 19th - Live Music at the Wide River Winery Tasting Room 5-8pm featuring "Pieces of Candy" 106 N. Cody Road www.wideriverwinery.com

July 21st - Sunday Brunch at the Faithful Pilot Cafe & Spirits Seatings at 10:00 and 12:30 Reservations 563.289.4156 www.faithfulpilot.com

FYI

The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce has an opening for Web Designer to maintain, update and to continue to develop the Chamber website.  The qualified candidate must have website development experience and the ability to oversee Facebook and all applications related to the site. Knowledge of the LeClaire community preferred.  Interested applicants may send resume to leclairechamber@gmail.com We do want to thank Chris Cournoyer for her service!

The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce also has an opening for a member of the Board of Directors as Lane Bleeker has resigned to take a position with the City of LeClaire. This is a voluntary position working with businesses, organizations and individuals to build a healthy economy while promoting and nurturing the quality of life in LeClaire. The qualified candidate will fill Lane's term until it has expired and will be eligible for re-election.  Please send your letter of interest to leclairechamber@gmail.com Thank you, Lane, for your time and for your service!

First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire FREE LUNCH at the Civic Center, 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Third Tuesday of the month: June 18, July 16, August 20: Come to eat and stay for the conversation! 

LeClaire Antiques is hosting an on going Plant Sale benefiting LeClaire Parks. Go by and see the beautiful plants for sale - great prices!

Please volunteer or help recruit volunteers for the LeClaire Information Center! We get a lot of great comments about the LIC, and we help promote all of LeClaire:

1. Through telling visitors about our great attractions, shops, restaurants, parks, schools, housing developments, etc.,

2. By mailing out information to individuals, small groups and bus tours who want to come find out what LeClaire is all about, and

3. Through providing nice, convenient public restrooms to shoppers, diners, people checking out our attractions, families, LeClaire residents who are just out for a walk - everyone appreciates the restrooms!

Almost everyone knows at least one person who loves to talk and meet new people - a retired neighbor or stay-at-home mom, a relative, a friend, a person from church, a person from your civic club, a person from exercise class... Please contact Cindy at 563-650-7963 or info@visitleclaire.com Volunteers are trained and there is lots of brochures and information to share with visitors.

Let's make downtown LeClaire and the LeClaire Information Center the best it can possibly be!

Buffalo Bill Museum is now open until 5pm daily. As of April 1st, the museum is open 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday, and on Sundays 12noon to 5pm. A reminder: group discounts are available for tour groups, clubs/reunions, and school groups. Call the museum at 563-289-5580 for details!

"LIKE" the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce on FaceBook Visit the chamber's Face Book page and discover a great source of news, business announcements, events, and other information that is updated frequently. It's a useful source of updated information for all members and non-members!

Chamber 2013 Networking Events - Everyone welcome to attend!

July 9 - Blue Iguana - Lunch -noon

August 13 - Big Dave and Holly's - lunch -noon

September 10 - Steventon's - after hours - 5-8pm

October 8 - Hungry Hobo - lunch - noon

November 12 - tbd

December 10 - Happy Joes - lunch -noon

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

Meet and greet Pastor Melody any Wednesday from 1-3 pm at Happy Joe's. Pastor Melody from First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire, will be at Happy Joe's in LeClaire, every Wednesday, from 1-3 pm, sipping on a soda, reading and waiting to visit with you and your friends. Stop by and say hi. Or, if you have a prayer request or a question, just let her know. Meals for Seniors at the church every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12 noon. Good food and a time to visit with others. Please call 563-289-3646 and make a reservation 2 days in

advance.

Asbury United Methodist Church is hosting a "Partnering to EmPOWER" fundraising event for Winnie's Place on Tuesday, October 15th.  The team putting together the event is looking for vendors who would be interested in participating in this worthy cause. Booth fees are $15 for sales people and $25 for those providing a service (ALL booth fees will go to Winnie's Place). Vendors will also agree to donate 9% of their sales to Winnies Place, which corresponds to the statistic that every 9 seconds, a woman is abused. Interested vendors are asked to contact Heidi Lubben at hjlubben@aol.com for more details. Marketing packets for vendors will be available June 15th. The deadline for returning a signed vendor agreement is August 20th.

Trivia Nights in LeClaire at the LeClaire Civic Center -

2013 Trivia Nights:

July 13 - Hosted by First Presbyterian Church - Hurricane Sandy Victims

LeClaire Trivia Nights have raised over $100,000 for local non-profit organizations! Thank you for your continued support!

LeClaire 2013 Events Calendar:

First Fridays each month 5:00-8:00 P.M.

Summer 2013 - City-Wide Water Explosion (Hollyhock Park)

Summer 2013 - Bike Parade & Decorating

August 8th-10th Tugfest

October 6th - Dogtoberfest at Bier Stube

October 13th - AppleFest

October 24th - HalloWine

October 26th - Witches Walk Costume Contest and Parade

December 6-8, 2013: Christmas in LeClaire

Family Nights at the LeClaire Rec Center: Details at www.leclairereccenter.com

www.LeClaireChamber.com and visit the Chamber on FaceBook!

ROCK ISLAND, IL - The District Theatre (formerly Harrison Hilltop Theatre) has entered a new era.  The theatre, located in downtown Rock Island on 2nd Avenue has completed the process to become a non-profit theatre and has inducted a board of directors, which includes Bryan Tank, Deborah Shippy, Georgia Jecklin, Thomas Hanson, Joseph Maubach, Dana Copell, and Lora Adams.  Matt Mercer is the board president.

"I had wanted to complete the season as planned, but the board and I met and felt that rather than wait to implement our new business strategies with the beginning of the sixth season, we roll them out now," said Tristan Tapscott, District Theatre Artistic Director.

"We looked at our projected expenses and revenue and made the decision to unveil our 'new vision' for the District Theatre immediately," said board president, Mercer.  That new vision included changing some of the lineup for the remainder of the year, partnering with other arts organizations and producing special events like the upcoming roast of Tristan Layne Tapscott on July 20th.  The theatre's website is undergoing a change and will be unveiled later this summer.

Opening June 28 is "Reasons to Be Pretty" followed by, James Fairchild's one man cabaret titled "Out of Character."  New offerings begin August 1st with "Twelve Angry Men" "Let's Face the Music," a musical revue, in September; "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" in early October and "The Rocky Horror Show" in late October. November 15-24 will be "The Tempest" with and rounding out the year will be the critically acclaimed musical "A Christmas Carol" by Tapscott and Danny White running December 6 to 15.

"In many ways we are returning to our roots presenting a classic play, a new musical and a contemporary show this fall," said Tapscott

The District Theatre formerly known as Harrison Hilltop theatre, opened in 2008 and moved to their Rock Island location in June 2011. At that time the theatre changed its name to better define its new location in The District of Rock Island.  

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'If we sell it, and if you buy it, U.S. manufacturing will return'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Across the political spectrum and in all walks of life in the U.S., everyone bemoans the decline in American manufacturing.

Ordinary Americans buy foreign goods, but wish they could find U.S-made products of equal or better value.

With the popularity of cheap imports, some patriotic Americans have given up even looking at labels anymore, assuming there's just no way to make buying American a regular practice.

But now someone is doing something about all that.

Meet the American Made Stores. Today it's a website - soon the first brick-and-mortar store will open in Blue Springs, Mo., right outside Kansas City, the home of the American Made Stores, a partnership between WND and REKO, WND's heralded online shopping fulfillment company - the one noted for its top-notch customer service at the WND Superstore.

Click here to browse American Made Stores by category.

"The concept is very simple," says Joseph Farah, founder and chief executive officer of WND. "If we sell it, and if you buy it, U.S. manufacturing will return. It's a 'Field of Dreams' vision. 'If you build it, they will come.' And we have faith in the American people that they will come - first to the American Made Stores website, later to the brick-and-mortar store in Missouri and, ultimately, to a nationwide chain of retail stores selling only American-made products of all kinds."

State Celebrates 2013 Stanley Cup Champions

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today proclaimed June 28, 2013 to be Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks Day in Illinois, in honor of the team's recent Stanley Cup win and their outstanding season.

The Blackhawks' unforgettable victory over the Boston Bruins isn't the only win Illinois is celebrating - , the Greater Chicago Food Depository will have another set of helping hands this summer when Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick comes to make good on his wager with Governor Quinn. On June 11 the governors made a wager before the start of the Stanley Cup Final series that the governor of the losing team's state would volunteer at the food bank of the winning governor's choice

The Stanley Cup will reprise its 2010 visit to the Illinois Executive Mansion in Springfield later this summer, where the public may view the trophy free of charge. The date of the public display will be announced at a later date.

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks were founded on September 25, 1926 by Major Frederic McLaughlin and named after the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Division of the United States Army, the unit Major McLaughlin commanded in World War I; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks, in their nearly 87 years have showcased outstanding offensemen including Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard, and Jeremy Roenick; elite defensemen including Pierre Pilote, Keith Magnuson, and Chris Chelios; and superior goaltenders Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks began the 2013 season by earning at least 1 point in 24 consecutive games, thereby setting a new National Hockey League record, won over 80 percent of their regular season games and completed the regular season with the most points of any team; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' unmatched 2013 regular season success resulted in receipt of the Presidents' Trophy, given by the National Hockey League to the team that completes the regular season with the best overall record, for the second time in franchise history; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' exceptional goaltending tandem of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery, in recognition of their unparalleled 2013 regular season, earned the William M. Jennings Trophy by allowing the fewest goals of any team's goaltenders in the National Hockey League; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' esteemed captain Jonathan Toews, in recognition of his superior 2013 regular season, was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane led the Blackhawks with 19 points in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 3 goals and 4 points in the last 3 games of the Stanley Cup Final, thereby netting the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player to his team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' Bryan Bickell scored the tying goal in the final game with 1 minute and 16 seconds remaining in the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks' Dave Bolland scored the winning goal only 17 seconds later with just 59 seconds remaining in the third and final period, the latest Stanley Cup-clinching goal scored in regulation time in the history of the National Hockey League; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' unequaled regular season produced the top overall seed for the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, an advantage that culminated on Monday, June 24, 2013, when the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2 to become 2013 Stanley Cup Champions; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks of 2013 became the fifth team in history to win the National Hockey League championship and raise Lord Stanley's Cup - the oldest, most storied trophy in professional sports - wearing the iconic Chicago Blackhawks sweater, thereby joining the other victorious teams from 1934, 1938, 1961 and 2010; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks' 2013 Stanley Cup victory was produced from the foundation of enthusiasm and desire created by Team Chairman Rocky Wirtz, Team President John McDonough, General Manager Stan Bowman, Head Coach Joel Quenneville, the Chicago Blackhawks' players, and each and every member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization; and,

WHEREAS, the Chicago Blackhawks made their second Championship contribution to the lives of the people of Illinois in the last 4 years, thereby again uniting sports fans in civic pride, as well as improving the lives of those in need and providing opportunities for the youth of Illinois through the Chicago Blackhawks Community Fund;

THEREFORE I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim Friday, June 28, 2013, to be STANLEY CUP CHAMPION CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS DAY in Illinois and encourage Illinois citizens to celebrate the 2013 Stanley Cup victory by our team and proudly show support of the Blackhawks at our homes, workplaces, and schools throughout the Land of Lincoln.