WASHINGTON, April 17, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the re-establishment of the Forestry Research Advisory Council and is seeking nominations for new members.

"This council will play a critical role as USDA continues to lead the way in forest conservation efforts," said Vilsack. "We base our forest conservation policies and decisions on the best available science, and this group will bring the expertise and experience to help us continue that practice."

The council's many responsibilities include providing advice to Secretary Vilsack on national and regional research planning projects and on coordination of forestry research within federal and state agencies, forestry schools and forest industries. In addition, the council will provide advice to the U.S. Forest Service's Research and Development program?the world's largest forestry-research organization.

The Forestry Research Advisory Council has 10 current and upcoming vacancies. Nominations are sought to immediately fill six vacancies on the council and additional vacancies that will occur when current appointments expire in December 2013. Vacancies are open in the following categories:

• Forestry schools
• State and Federal agencies
• Forest industries
• Voluntary organizations

Nominations must be received by April 29, 2013. The announcement appeared in the Federal Register and is available here, along with the required nomination form and more background information.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

PORT BYRON, IL - To help protect local residents and business owners from identity theft, state Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) is hosting a free community shred day and electronics recycling drive on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds located at 4200 Archer Dr. in East Moline.

"Properly destroying documents that contain personal information is a smart way to protect against identity theft," said Smiddy. "Aside from the inconvenience, identity theft can threaten the financial security of an entire family. This community shred event makes it easy to get rid of these documents safely to help prevent any unwanted invasion of privacy."

Residents can bring old bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, receipts, credit card applications, old bills and other documents that contain sensitive personal information to be safely shredded and disposed. All documents should be free of paperclips, staples and other bindings.

Electronics recycling is available courtesy of the Rock Island County Waste Management Agency and Bi-State Regional Commission. Most electronic items are accepted, but residents should not bring household appliances, curling irons, terminals or batteries. All items should have any batteries removed before being recycled.

"I encourage area residents to take advantage of this free service," Smiddy said.

For more information, contact Smiddy's office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com, (309) 848-9098, or toll free at (855) 243-4988.

###

Quad Cities keeps chance of winning series alive with 3-2 win in Game 2

DAVENPORT, Iowa (APRIL 16, 2013) - Having lost Game 1 of a doubleheader and been held to three hits through 11 innings against Clinton LumberKings pitching, the Quad Cities River Bandits awoke for a three-run rally in the fifth inning of Game 2 to take a 3-2, seven-inning win and split of Tuesday's action in front of 1,024 at Modern Woodmen Park.

LumberKings left-hander Scott DeCecco (0-1) allowed one hit and faced the minimum through 4 1/3 innings, but he issued a one-out walk to River Bandits designated hitter Rio Ruiz with one out in the fifth inning. Catcher Roberto Peña followed with a single, before right fielder Ariel Ovando grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out. With runners at first and third base and two outs, second baseman Austin Elkins - the newest River Bandit - lined an RBI single to right field to cut the lead to 2-1. One batter later, third baseman Ryan Dineen drove a go-ahead, two-run double to the gap in right-center field, making it 3-2.

River Bandits right-hander Michael Dimock (1-0) made the lead stand, as he tossed three perfect innings out of the bullpen and struck out four batters, including all three in the seventh and final inning. Dimock started the top of the fifth inning in relief of right-hander Daniel Minor, who allowed two runs on six hits, including a third-inning solo home run by left fielder Dario Pizzano. Minor walked two batters and struck out four.

DeCecco worked all six innings for the LumberKings (5-8), as he allowed five hits and three earned runs, walked two batters and struck out five. Clinton out-hit the River Bandits for a second consecutive game.

The River Bandits (8-3) had seven total hits in the two games but got a 2-for-3 performance in Game 2 from first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki.

The River Bandits play the series finale against the LumberKings on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Quad Cities will use a tandem of left-hander Colton Cain (0-0) and right-hander Mike Hauschild (0-0).

Tuesday's victory also means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Wednesday, April 17. 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 Wednesday, April 17.

 

UP NEXT: The first Pay Your Bill Wednesday presented by U.S. Bank and Mix 96 will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. Two fans will have their bills selected from a drawing and paid up to $100 by the River Bandits. The River Bandits will hold a drawing to win Chicago Blackhawks tickets. It is also West Liberty Community Night. Single-game tickets are on sale 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 will make 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 scheduled to open in early June, along with two new zip lines, a carousel, a Frog Hopper, new bounce houses and many other fun attractions. The team also boasts a new major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, and fans will see last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Carlos Correa. The Astros will also make the very first selection in the major league draft this June and could have another top pick end up in the Quad Cities. With new rides, new attractions, new improvements, a new affiliate and future major league stars, this season will be one every fan will not want to miss!

Psychiatrist Shares 4 Ways Sports-Obsessed
Families Can Affect Young Athletes

They're called student-athletes, but many youth advocates - including psychiatrist Gary Malone, are concerned that the emphasis is on "athlete."

"Anyone who follows sports knows that college-level and professional recruiters are looking at recruits - children - at increasingly younger ages, and it's not because they want to ensure these athletic students get a well-rounded education," says Malone,  a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association, and coauthor with his sister Susan Mary Malone of "What's Wrong with My Family?" (www.whatswrongwithmyfamily.com).

"In my home state, Texas, a new high school football stadium is opening that cost $60 million dollars and seats 18,000. That's all funded at public expense. We constantly read of districts across the country cutting academic and arts programs and teachers' salaries due to budget shortfalls. How can this make sense?"

As a high-performing student-athlete throughout his own high school and college years, Malone says he appreciates the benefits of extracurricular programs.

"But the NCAA.'s own 2011 survey found that, by a wide margin, men's basketball and football players are much more concerned about their performance on the field than in the classroom," he says.

Malone reviews how the imbalance favoring athletic pursuits can damage student-athletes and the family unit:

• Life beyond sports: Only 3 percent of high school athletes will go on to compete in college; less than 1 percent of college athletes turn pro, where the average career is three years with risk of permanent injury, including brain damage, for football players. Even if they're among the successful elite, wealth management is likely to be a major problem; some studies show that up to 78 percent of NFL players go broke after three years of retirement. Is this the best future for a child?

• Misplaced parental priorities: A parent's obsession with a child's success in sports can be extremely damaging to a child, to the extent of bordering on abuse. Parents who look to their children to provide them with the validation, status or other unfulfilled needs don't have their child's best interests at heart. Parents who tend to be domineering can be especially dangerous in the face of an athletic success obsession.

• Siblings left behind: When the family values one child's athletic prowess over the talents and gifts displayed by his or her siblings, the latter children risk growing up without a sense of personal identity, which leads to co-dependency problems in adulthood.

• Pressured to play: Especially in the South, but throughout the entire United States, football is huge. Basketball dominates inner cities and regions like Indiana; wrestling is big in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast, and hockey might be the focus for children throughout Northeast and upper Midwest. Children, especially boys, may feel obliged or pressured to play a particular sport even if they have no talent or interest in it to the detriment of other talents that might have been developed.

"Athletics can be extremely beneficial to a young person's life, but I think we have our priorities backwards," Malone says. "Imagine how much better off our country might be if, instead of football, we were obsessed with our children's performance in science and math."

About Dr. Gary Malone, M.D. & Susan Mary Malone

Dr. Gary Malone is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern and a teaching analyst at the Dallas Psychoanalytic Institute. He is a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association with board certifications in general and addiction psychiatry. He has worked in hospitals and private practices for more than 30 years. Dr. Malone is director of Adult Chemical Dependency Services at Millwood Hospital in Arlington, Texas.

Award-winning writer and editor Susan Mary Malone is the author of the novel, "By the Book," and three nonfiction books, including "Five Keys for Understanding Men: A Women's Guide." More than 40 of the book projects she has edited were purchased by traditional publishing houses. She is Dr. Malone's sister