04 Jan 2013

Loebsack to Congressional Leaders, President: Discussions Must Start Immediately

By Randy Stalsberg

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after calling on congressional leaders and President Obama to begin discussions immediately about how to move forward and address the unsustainable long-term deficit and debt and get our economy back on track.  Included in this week's vote to avert the fiscal cliff was a two month extension of the Budget Control Act's artificial deadline that would put sequestration in place.  While Washington once again kicked the can down the road, Loebsack is urging congressional leaders and the president to come together and find a way to set our economy on a path forward.

"When the legislation to address the fiscal cliff was passed, I called on Congress and the President to immediately begin discussions about how to prevent our economy from sliding backwards and best move forward to resolve our long-term deficit and debt problem.  Today, I renew that call because, as we have seen time and again, eleventh hour negotiations do not lead to solutions that benefit the American people or the economy.

"As we begin the 113th Congress, the number one priority that must be addressed is boosting our economy and the new jobs report released this morning served as another reminder that we cannot wait around.  We have to chart a path that will lead to long-term economic prosperity for hardworking Iowans."

A copy of the letter Loebsack sent can be seen here.

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04 Jan 2013

Governor, DuPage County Chairman and GOP Leaders Continue Pension Reform Push

By Leslie Wertheimer

Governor Meets with Suburban Leaders and Strengthens Bipartisan Support for Comprehensive Action

WHEATON - January 4, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin and several Republican legislators to strengthen the push for comprehensive pension reform by Jan. 9, the end of the current legislative session. The governor met with suburban leaders and discussed the urgent need for action by the General Assembly. Today's event strengthened bipartisan support for comprehensive pension reform.

"Every day that urgently needed action on pension reform is delayed, the problem gets worse," Governor Quinn said. "As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to put politics aside and enact a solution that prevents skyrocketing pension costs from squeezing out core services like education, public safety and health care. We can do that now and we should not wait another day."

Without pension reform, the unfunded liability grows by $17.1 million every single day. According to the Pew Center for the States, Illinois has the worst-funded pension systems in the nation. As Illinois' $96 billion unfunded pension liability grows, it squeezes out more and more funding for crucial services such as education, health care, road repair and public safety from the state budget. Without comprehensive pension reform, all areas of the state budget including assistance provided to local communities across the state will be impacted, endangering operations and the ability of communities to improve their infrastructure.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, who also serves as chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party, served in the General Assembly for almost 20 years. Chairman Cronin is a leader among many business and civic figures who recognize the need for a comprehensive solution to Illinois' most critical financial challenge. Yesterday, a group of better government and civic organizations also endorsed the governor's call for pension reform by Jan. 9.

"Illinois' pension disaster is a statewide problem, not a Springfield problem," Chairman Cronin said. "People come up to me all the time to express their concerns about the pension crisis and ask what we can do about it. The consequences of this crisis know no boundaries and the solution should have no sole ownership or obligation. Taxpayers expect all of us who serve in public office - from the statehouse all the way down to here at the county and local level - to step up and support meaningful reform measures. The future viability of our state depends on it."

 

In April, Governor Quinn proposed a plan that would fully fund the pension system by 2042 and prevent skyrocketing pension costs from squeezing out core services. The governor also launched an education effort to build public awareness about the need for legislative action on pension reform in Springfield and empower citizens to make their voices heard. The governor and his senior staff have been meeting with legislators, leaders and their staffs for weeks to forge common ground on pension reform. The governor continues to work with legislators every day to enact a solution as soon as possible.

The following legislators attended today's meeting: Rep. Darlene Senger, Rep. Chris Nybo, Rep. Michael Fortner, Rep. Jim Durkin, Rep. Michael Connelly, Rep. Patti Bellock, Rep. Franco Coladipietro, Rep. Randy Ramey, Rep. Dennis Reboletti, Sen. Ron Sandack, and Sen. Tom Johnson. 

The legislature is scheduled to end its legislative session Jan. 9. For more information, visit www.ThisisMyIllinois.com.

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04 Jan 2013

Gov. Branstad appoints Mark Ray Lawson Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge

By Office of the Governor of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today appointed Mark Ray Lawson Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge.

Lawson, of Bellevue, earned his law degree from Drake University and is currently working in private practice and as Magistrate for Jackson County.

The Seventh Judicial Circuit includes Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties. 

Lawson fills the vacancy left by Judge Pelton.

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04 Jan 2013

The Old Creamery Theatre Company to perform Talley's Folly at Bella Sala

By Shelley Oehler
Amana - The Old Creamery Theatre Company and Bella Sala will bring you an evening of great food and entertainment on Saturday, January 19.

The evening begins at 5 p.m. when the doors to Bella Sala will open for cocktail hour followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The menu includes smoked pork loin, zesty herbed chicken, party potatoes, California blend vegetables, bread and salad. A cash bar will be available.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company will then take to the stage at 7 p.m. to perform Talley's Folly by Lanford Wilson. The play is a romantic comedy set in an old boathouse in rural Lebanon, Missouri in 1944. The story follows two unlikely sweethearts, Matt Friedman and Sally Talley, as they once and for all settle their feelings for one another. Talley's Folly features Old Creamery favorites Deborah Kennedy and Tom Milligan and is sure to be a treat for all.

Tickets for dinner and the show are $45 per person and can be purchased by calling Bella Sala at (319) 545-4255. Purchase of a full table (8 seats) includes a complimentary bottle of white and red wine served with dinner.

Bella Sala is located at 3232 Jasper Ave. NW in Tiffin.
04 Jan 2013

Davenport Community Improvement Corporation Agenda

By Jackie E. Holecek
Monday, January 7, 9:00 a.m.
River Music Experience, 129 Main Street
Davenport, Iowa

  1. Welcome
  2. Casino Developer / Operator Interviews:  DCIC Directors will participate in public interviews of three prospective casino developer / operators.
  3. Adjourn
04 Jan 2013

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

By Jackie E. Holecek
City of Davenport, Iowa

Tuesday, January 8, 2:45 p.m.

Public Works Parking Lot, 1200 East 46th Street, Davenport, Iowa

I. Dubuque Casino Tour

Members of the public and media are welcome to join the tour in Dubuque.
04 Jan 2013

LeClaire Chamber Announcements 1/4/2013

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce

It is time again to join or to renew your membership with the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce! Please see the attached form to complete and return with your payment by January 31, 2013.  Thank you for your current and past membership, and certainly let us know if you have any questions in regard to your membership or about the Chamber in general. Let's have a Great 2013!  After all - "It's all there....In LeClaire!"

ANNOUNCEMENTS - Friday 01/04/2013

CALENDAR

Now through January 6th - Enright's LeClaire Super Car Wash - "Holiday Token Sale "7 tokens for $20 - each token has a value of $6.00. Tokens Make Great Gifts! Stock up for Winter!

January 8th - Chamber Networking Luncheon - Crane and Pelican - noon

January 10th - Vegan & Vegetarian Night Menu Theme: "Hippy New Year". 3 Courses - $23. Details and Menu at www.craneandpelican.com.  Billie Davids' Yellow House Studio is now in the upstairs at the Crane & Pelican! Stop by and meet the artist in person and see her amazing work, and buy a piece of art that will warm your heart & your home.

January 12th - Trivia Night - LeClaire Civic Center benefiting the LeClaire Community Library. This a great cause and the date is coming up quick! 14 Tables are Available! RESERVATIONS SO FAR:  LeClaire Library Staff.  If you would like a table, please email cournoyer@yahoo.com or call 563-505-6703. If you don't have enough for a full table, they always have a few people that would like to come and join a table that isn't full. Cost is $10 per person with tables up to 8 people each, $50 per table minimum. Everyone will be entered for door prizes. You may bring your own beer, wine and snacks, but soda, water and snacks will also be for sale. Doors open at 6:30, trivia starts at 7:00. 1st place: Entry Money Back; 2nd place 1/2 of Entry Money Back. Join the fun!

January 26th - Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner - Steventon's

1399 Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire.

6:00-6:30 pm - Cocktails (Cash Bar)/Silent Auction

6:30 pm - Awards

7:00 pm - Dinner

8:00 pm - Live Auction

6:00-10:00 pm - Music by Keep Off the Grass

Please RSVP by January 18th, 2012 to First Central Bank, 563-289-2265 or email DMULVANIA@FIRSTCENTRALSB.COM $30 per person paid in advance. Make checks payable to LeClaire Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 35 , LeClaire , IA 52753

 

 

FYI

Please note - the Chamber has a new email address - leclairechamber@gmail.com

The folks at Buffalo Bill Museum hope to see you over the winter! It is a great place to take visiting family and friends and "free admission" is a benefit of your membership! The gift shop is also a great place to pick up unique items as well as books about local history, "Buffalo Bill" sweatshirts and t-shirts, and other items you can't find elsewhere!  The museum is open daily 9am to 4pm, and Sundays 12noon to 4pm.

Artswork would like to thank all regular customers who do their shopping at Artswork! She appreciates your support of "Buy Local, Buy American Made"!  Thank you for nominating "Artswork" as "Best Gift Shop" in the Quad City Times Reader's Choice Awards!

Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf is looking for a Nursery Childcare Attendant. This is a part-time position, not to exceed 8 hours per week. Interested persons need to be available Sunday mornings as well as occasional weeknights and must be at least 19 years old. We are looking for someone who can provide tender, loving, quality care for infants and toddlers. If you are interested in the position, please contact the church office at 563-355-5218 for the complete job description.

If you would like to share information about events, promotions, news, etc., with Tourism, please send an email to info@visitleclaire.com. Your information will be shared with Shopkeepers, the Chamber and the Tourism Board and will be promoted on Facebook and in monthly emails.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

Meals for Seniors at the First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire 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.

Still ongoing:  

The River Cities' Reader Annual Best of the QC Survey Vote online at http://www.rcreader.com/best-of-qc/survey.php?sid=72 now to February 1, 2013. There are fifty questions, but you only have to answer 15 or more to make your ballot count.  Results will be published in the Spring of 2013. Pass this link along and vote for your favorite area eating and drinking establishments!

Trivia Nights in LeClaire at the LeClaire Civic Center

2013 Trivia Nights:

January 12th - LeClaire Community Library

February 9th - Coe Noack Memorial Scholarship

March 9th - hosted by First Presbyterian Church to raise $$ for Hurricane Sandy victims

April 6th - LeClaire Little League

May 4th - LeClaire Lions

June 8th - Buffalo Bill Museum

LeClaire Trivia Nights have raised over $95,000 for local non-profit organizations! Thank you for your continued support!

LeClaire Park Board Special Events Calendar

Spring 2013 - Spring Fling Easter Egg Hunt ( Hollyhock Park )

Spring 2013 - Cinco de Mayo

French Market Days 2013 - May 18th, plant exchange, sale benefiting Parks Dept.

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

Summer 2013 - Bike Parade & Decorating

Summer 2013 - Tug Fest

www.LeClaireChamber.com and visit the Chamber on FaceBook!
04 Jan 2013

Finding Healing, Renewal in 2013

By Ginny Grimsley
By: Caroline Flohr

As a new year dawns, many Americans still grieve losses experienced in 2012. For some, it's very personal - the death of a parent, spouse or child. Others mourn the  lives lost in one of the many tragedies we experienced together as a nation.

As a mother of a 16-year-old twin daughter killed in a car accident involving eight teenagers, I assure those of you who are still coming to terms with your loss and grief - it is possible to journey from the unimaginable to acceptance and a spiritual peace. I urge you to embrace the healing power of family and community, love and faith. You will be surprised at how it can transform you.

You can find renewal in this new year.

I have learned that death defines not the end, but a beginning. I have learned that, by weaving tragedy into the fabric of our lives, we can be stronger, spiritually richer and, yes, even happier for it.

Here are some of the milestones I experienced on my journey to inner peace:

• Deeper meaning: Through the death of someone so important, you will be changed. The question is how you will be changed. Will you grow, or become diminished? I grew with the realization that death - so often viewed as an end - is just the beginning of another phase of existence. One of my favorite quotes is from poet Rabindranath Tagore: Death is not extinguishing the light. It is putting out the lamp because dawn has come.

• Celebrate life: When the bereaved are able to look at the life of a person who has passed and see more beauty than pain, they should rejoice. The reality of a person's absence will always have an element of sadness, but the joy of  wonderful memories is even more powerful. When loved ones leave this Earth, graces are given to those relationships left behind. These are gifts. When we can acknowledge them, our lives can expand in the present.

• Ready for anything: Once you've experienced the worst and pulled through, you know you will be able to weather just about any adversity. Maya Angelou wrote, '"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." Have faith in that inner strength we all harbor.

• Appreciate what you have: Life as we know it will come to an end. This includes everyone we know, love and care about; it's a fact that we often forget, and it's as startling to remember as it is true. Come good or bad, we do not know what the future will bring, which means we should take every opportunity to fully embrace the present, and our loved ones.

About Caroline Flohr

Caroline Flohr is the author of "Heaven's Child," www.heavenschild.com. It details her  spiritual journey beginning with the sudden death of 16-year-old twin daughter, Sarah. Flohr was forced to dig into the deeper meaning of existence and came away with profound edification and appreciation for the gifts left behind by those who leave us. Flohr lives with her husband and children on Bainbridge Island, a suburb of Seattle.

04 Jan 2013

Make regular blood donation a New Year's resolution

By Rick Martin

PEORIA, Ill. (Jan. 4, 2013) – With the beginning of a new year comes a fresh start. New Year's resolutions are often made to form good habits and reach new goals. This New Year's, the American Red Cross encourages people to resolve to help patients in need through regular blood donations.

As the winter season continues, blood donations are especially needed. Donations typically decline this time of year, as many regular donors are impacted by inclement weather and seasonal illnesses.

There is no better resolution to make this New Year's than to help save lives with the Red Cross. Give the gift of life and help give patients another year with their loved ones. Make an appointment to donate blood at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED CROSS.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County
Jan. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Milledgeville High School, Highway 40 in Milledgeville, Ill.

Clinton County
Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at American Red Cross, 1220 13th Ave. North in Clinton, Iowa

Jan. 24 from 2-6 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 621 S. Third St. in Clinton, Iowa

Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ashford University, 400 N. Bluff in Clinton, Iowa

Jan. 30 from 12-6 p.m. at Northeast High School, 3690 Highway 136 in Goose Lake, Iowa

Henry County
Jan. 23 from 1:15-5:15 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Jan. 23 from 2-7 p.m. at Alwood Elementary School, 101 E. A St. in Alpha, Ill.

Mercer County
Jan. 17 from 1-5 p.m. at Alexis Community Center, 204 W. Palmer Ave. in Alexis, Ill.

Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mercer County Hospital, 409 NW Ninth Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Rock Island County
Jan. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Quad City International Airport, 2200 69th Ave. in Moline, Ill.

Whiteside County
Jan. 16 from 2-6 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Jan. 18 from 3-7 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

Jan. 19 from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

Jan. 22 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Jan. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Halo Branded Solutions, 1980 Industrial Drive in Sterling, Ill.

Jan. 26 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Jan. 29 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Jan. 30 from 2-6 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

How to donate blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.™

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04 Jan 2013

TENTATIVE AGENDA SCOTT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS January 8, 2013

By Chris Berge
Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Special Committee of the Whole - 8:00 am
Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

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

2. Discussion of Scott County Board goals.

3. Other items of interest.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Special Committee of the Whole - 9:00 am
Putnam Museum

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

2. Tour of Putnam Museum.

3. Other items of interest.

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