15 Mar 2013

How Female CEOs Can 'Lead with Impact'

By Rick Martin
3 Ways to Set Yourself Apart from the Competition

A record number of women are Fortune 500 CEOs.

Women are launching businesses at 1.5 times the national average.

There are now 8.2 million American women running their own companies.

"The numbers are notable," says executive and business coach Debora McLaughlin, author of "The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance and Profits," (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com).

"From 1997 to 2011, the number of U.S. women-owned businesses increased by 50 percent," McLaughlin says. "And in 2011, the median compensation for female CEOs was 13 percent more than for male CEOs," according to NerdWallet Financial Markets.

According to Catalyst, a non-profit organization, as of Jan. 1, there were 21 women running Fortune 500 companies, including IBM and PepsiCo, That's up from seven in 2002-2003. Among the Fortune 1000 companies, there are twice as many, including the CEOs of Neiman Marcus Group, Cracker Barrel and Dun & Bradstreet.

"Nonetheless, business women still face hurdles," McLaughlin notes. "Keep in mind, while 21 are Fortune 500 CEOs -- a record high - that's only 4.25 percent of the total and the figures hold for Fortune 1000 companies, less than 5 percent have a female at the helm."

A recipient of the 2012-13 Women of the Year award presented by the National Association of Professional Women, McLaughlin watches the financial trends. While women are launching more businesses, they have an upward climb; studies show that women-owned companies are less likely to hit the $1 million mark and are more likely to fail.

"To claim, own and keep the keys to the corner office, women executives need to be seen, heard and to lead with greater influence and impact," McLaughlin says. She offers three key tips:

• Develop your personal brand: Let people get to know you, your core story of experiences and how they relate to your drive and vision. As Steve Jobs said, "connect the dots," then use transparent communication to share your story. People make better connections with people who tell a great story, and they're most interested in the story behind the person at the top. Transparency encourages greater communication, team building and leadership.

• Develop and use your personal network. Find a mentor and be a mentor; seek out other women at your level; and accept the strength, ideas and energy your connections have to offer. It is no longer necessary to blaze trails alone, and women have more power than they may realize. According to a Dow Jones report, startups with five or more female executives have a 61 percent success rate. It goes further and says that odds of success "increase with more female executives at the VP and Director levels."

• Stand for something; position yourself as a strong thought leader. It's not easy being at the top. Women tend to distrust powerful women, and men may view women as weak or too collaborative and sensitive. Take a firm stand on something you care about deeply and rally the organization around that objective. You will gain the respect of your peers, customers and stakeholders.

As the numbers clearly demonstrate, business is changing. Women account for 73 percent to 85 percent of consumer decisions in the United States, which gives female CEOs yet another advantage -- insight into their customers' values, McLaughlin says.

About Debora McLaughlin

Debora McLaughlin, best-selling author of "The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance and Profits;" the forthcoming book, "A League of Her Own," and CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group combines her experience as certified executive coach and as a top sales performer in New York City and Boston to help CEOs, business leaders and organizations achieve accelerated results.

15 Mar 2013

Teachers in two Iowa school districts vote for teacher leadership roles to raise achievement

By Office of the Governor of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today that teachers in the Central Decatur and the Saydel school districts overwhelmingly voted to adopt a teacher leadership and compensation structure in partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET).

Last September, the districts and NIET won a grant from the U. S. Department of Education's 2012 Teacher Incentive Fund to put the teacher leadership and compensation structure in place. The districts have been in the planning stage since then. Before finalizing the plan, which is tailored to meet local needs, NIET requires that teachers in each school building vote on whether to approve it.  In Central Decatur, 87 percent of teachers voted yes. In Saydel, 94 percent of teachers voted yes.

The goal of the project is to build on the expertise and growth potential of teachers in each school, providing them with support in boosting student achievement and meeting higher academic goals. This will be done by putting in place NIET's System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP), which creates mentor and master teacher roles that provide more support for classroom teachers to help them improve instructional strategies.  These teacher leaders work with administrators to align professional support with school academic goals and with the needs of each student. As part of the project, the districts will make it possible for teachers who specialize in science, technology, engineering and math to seek more training at local universities. Helping principals become more effective also is a focus of the project.

The grant provides $2.3 million for the first two years, with the possibility of nearly $9.6 million total over five years depending upon annual congressional appropriations.

"Teachers are eager to better utilize the expertise of top teachers to improve instruction and raise student achievement," said Reynolds "With higher expectations for all students today,  it's critical to better support the more complex work we are asking teachers to do."

"We modeled the teacher leadership and compensation structure in our 2013 education reform package in large part on NIET's successful Teacher Advancement Program," said Reynolds.  "I would like to thank NIET and the Central Decatur and Saydel school districts for working together to move forward with this grant. Teachers will have new career options in these two districts because they recognize that the traditional one-size-fits-all approach in the teaching profession limits professional opportunities."

The Central Decatur and Saydel superintendents said the grant will better support work already under way in their districts.

"As our staff learned about the TAP system, we were most excited by the constant theme of structured and strategic support for teachers that resulted in improved student achievement," said Central Decatur Superintendent Chris Coffelt.  "Staff support and willingness to implement this system will not just positively impact our students and staff, but will ultimately transform our school culture and the work we do as professionals."

For Saydel, Superintendent Brad Buck expects education to be transformed in terms of student learning and teachers' careers: "I am so proud of our teachers for providing us with a vote percentage akin to a mandate for improvement. They are working hard and believe this model, through a variety of proven supports, will better translate their hard work into increases in student success."

 

The grant won by Central Decatur and Saydel was one of 35 grants announced last fall by the U.S. Department of Education to "improve teacher pay structures, reward great teachers and principals, and provide greater professional opportunities to teachers in high-poverty schools." For more information: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-boosts-district-led-efforts-recognize-and-reward-great-t

 

 

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15 Mar 2013

Concertmaster set for intimate engagement

By QCSO

Concertmaster set for Signature Series debut

 

This second concert of the Signature Series features violin and piano duets from QCSO Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz and pianist Marian Lee performing at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. The program includes Stravinsky's Suite Italienne, Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor, and Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for free hor d'oeuvres and cash bar. The music begins at 8:00 p.m.

Canadian violinist Naha Greenholtz was born in Kyoto, Japan, where she began her violin studies at age three. Since her solo debut at 14, concerto appearances include engagements with the Vancouver, Madison, Quad City, Burnaby, Kelowna, and National Repertory Symphony Orchestras in works ranging from Bach to Stravinsky.

Marian Lee is also new to town as the recently appointed assistant piano professor and head of piano area at St. Ambrose University. She made her New York City debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as winner of the Artists International Award and has concertized in Austria, Italy, France, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Poland, Brazil, Byelorussia, Estonia, Hong Kong, and Thailand, as well as Lincoln Center and Steinway Hall in NYC, the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage and Seattle's Benaroya Hall.

You can find out more about this concert by clicking here.

15 Mar 2013

Brandon Heath and Mandisa coming next week Thursday!

By New Anthem

Brandon Heath & Mandisa

The BranDisa Tour

7:00 PM Thursday, March 21

Adler Theater
136 East 3rd Street
DowntownDavenport,Iowa

Collaborating to bring their celebrated sounds into one highly anticipated live experience, Dove Award winners and GRAMMY®-nominated artists Brandon Heath and Mandisa will perform at the Adler Theatre on Thursday, March 21.

15 Mar 2013

LeCLAIRE ANNOUNCEMENTS - Friday 03/15/2013

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce

Have You Renewed Your Chamber Membership for 2013?! Deadline to remain in good standing is today, March 15!

Please let us know if you plan to renew so we keep you on our membership directory! Being a Member of the Chamber helps you to gather leads, meet prospects and promote your products and services.  Your business is listed on www.LeClaireChamber.com for all who visit the site to see, not to mention the 1000's of visitors to our Facebook page!  The Chamber refers our members first and encourages others to do business with our members. Attend Annual and Monthly Events! Stay up to date with news and events, and post your announcements for free on the Friday Announcements!  Low cost advertising is available to members in our quarterly Newsletter.  Stay involved, meet new people, and make a difference in your community!   Membership form attached!

 

WELCOMING NEW MEMBER!

 

Minuteman Press - Davenport, Sue Grant, Owner.  563-386-4566. davenport.minuteman.com Full service print shop, in business for 21 years.

 

CALENDAR

 

March 15th - 17th - Bier Stube St. Patricks Day Celebration - $9.99 corned beef and cabbage and red potatoes, served all day long Fri-Sun. 1001 Canal Shore Dr., LeClaire. 563-289-2121

March 16th - Booker Bear reading program sponsored by Ascentra Credit Union will be held at the Bettendorf Library.  This is the second group of area first graders to be celebrated for completing their ten book reading challenge. The Bettendorf Library and Ascentra Credit Union have worked together to promote the love of reading to Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley first graders since 1999. Attendance is expected to be about 800 people.  Call 563-344-3343 for more information, or go to Ascentra.org

 

March 16th - LeClaire Rec Center Family Night - www.leclairereccenter.com

 

March 23rd - Tug Fest Trivia Night - LeClaire Fire Station. Doors open at 6 PM  Trivia starts at 7 PM. $10 per person. 8 person max per team. Bring your own snacks and drinks. (alcoholic beverages are allowed but limited to beer and wine coolers only please) Contact Kari Long iatugfestfan@gmail.com or Barry Long bal400@aol.com for more details or to reserve your table.

March 26th - Civic Club Annual Corporation Meeting that was originally scheduled for Feb. 26th, is now rescheduled for March 26th at the LeClaire Civic Center. Pot Luck at 6:30 PM and Annual Meeting at 7:00PM. All Civic Club members and their guests are encouraged to attend. Also, anyone interested in joining the Civic Club may attend as my guests.

March 26th - Reusable Usables - Women's Full Moon Circle Yoga - 7:30-8:45 p.m. Full Moon Circle is our opportunity to explore and learn from each other, and yoga will be led by Jennifer Vondracek.  We look forward to this opportunity to learn from a wonderful group of women, and to celebrate our strength, wisdom & love. $8 or donation. Ongoing event and for more info you can visit our website at www.reusableusables.org or our facebook page or call 563-289-3946

 

March 30th - Wide River Winery Easter bonnet Contest! Be creative and have fun! Judging at 3:30p.m. Tasting room is open 11AM-7PM

 

March 31st - Bier Stube - Special Easter Sunday Brunch - 9am - 12pm. Seatings begin on the hour.  Price $13.99 for buffet or $19.99 per person with unlimited Bloody Mary's and Mimosas. Also taking reservations for Mothers Day Brunch (May 12th). 1001 Canal Shore Dr., LeClaire. 563-289-2121

 

Save the Date

 

April 3 - "Dinner with Mrs. Dawley" The museum's fundraiser at the Dawley Home (Crane & Pelican Café) is SOLD OUT! Dinner in a riverboat pilot's home, joined by the couple's friends and family. It will be an enjoyable evening!  If you would like to be contacted if any reservations are cancelled, please send an email to: BuffaloBill@iowatelecom.net, or message the museum on FaceBook:  Buffalo Bill Museum LeClaire IA (Please include your phone number, and number in party).

 

April 5th - First Friday in LeClaire!  5:00-8:00 p.m.

Food and Beverage Samples at Mississippi River Distilling Company www.mrdistilling.com 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Wine samples at Wide River Winery www.wideriverwinery.com

Karaoke at Sneaky Pete's Every Friday Night 9:00 P.M.-1:00 A.M. 207 North Cody Road Le Claire, IA (563) 289-4277.

Aunt Hattie's Fanciful Emporium will be open late - go in for a free red velvet cupcake! Yummmy!!

Razzleberries will be open late. Come in to shop and get free samples of booze cake (while it lasts)!

Restaurants and several other shops will be open late, too!

 

FYI

 

"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!

 

(ext 1135) or email Cindy Bruhn, Tourism Manager, at Info@VisitLeClaire.com

 

Chamber 2013 Networking Events - Everyone welcome to attend!

April 9 - Wide River Winery - after hours - 5-8pm (tentative)

May 14 - Great River Financial - after hours

June 6 - Black Watch Room - after hours - 5-8pm (1st Thursday)

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 - Faithful Pilot - after hours -5-8pm

December 10 - Happy Joes - lunch -noon

January 14, 2014 - Sneaky Pete's - 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.

 

Trivia Nights in LeClaire at the LeClaire Civic Center

2013 Trivia Nights:

April 6 - LeClaire Little League

May 4 - LeClaire Lions

June 8 - Buffalo Bill Museum

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

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

 

LeClaire 2013 Events Calendar

Spring - Spring Fling Easter Egg Hunt (Hollyhock Park)

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

May 17-18 - French Market Days

June 7-8 - LeClaire Garage Sale Days

June 21-22 - Girls' Getaway Weekend - Details to come!!

Summer - City-Wide Water Explosion (Hollyhock Park)

Summer - Bike Parade & Decorating

August 8-10 - Tug Fest - www.tugfest.com

October 6 - Dogtoberfest (rain date - Oct. 13)

October 13 - Apple Fest

October 24 - Hallowine

October 26 - Witches' Walk

December 6-8 - Christmas in LeClaire

 

 

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

15 Mar 2013

Smiddy Targets Investment Fraud

By Rep. Mike Smiddy
PORT BYRON, IL - Investment scam artists who prey on unsuspecting individuals would no longer
escape prosecution under legislation being advanced by State Representative Mike Smiddy (D-Port
Byron).

"This measure goes after scammers and protects Illinois residents from unscrupulous investors," Smiddy
said. "Too many snake oil salesman and hucksters avoid being held accountable for their crimes - this
legislation aims to change that. By extending the statute of limitations to void crooked investment deals
we can penalize perpetrators while helping people who have been wronged."

House Bill 2969 amends the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 to broaden the limitations period for bringing
an action to void a security's sale. Under current law, a defrauded investor may bring a private or civil
action within three years from the date of sale. This three-year period may be extended by two years if
the investor did not know about the fraud. However, the current statutory language sets a firm cap of
five years for prosecution. Smiddy's legislation removes the five-year cap and provides that limitations
may be further extended as a way to prevent scammers from escaping prosecution.

"Con-artists and those who defraud investors should not be able to avoid liability," Smiddy said. "This is
a strong strep toward increasing consumer protections and decreasing the number of crooked investors
in Illinois. I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in passing this important piece of legislation
quickly."

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

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15 Mar 2013

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions March 15, 2013

By Iowa Judicial Branch
Iowa Supreme Court Opinions

March 15, 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. 11-0934

RENELLA SUE CRAWFORD vs. STEVE YOTTY and MYRON ROPP

No. 11-1714

DAVID TAFT, Plaintiff, vs. IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR LINN COUNTY
15 Mar 2013

A Book by Me: Holocaust Series

By Deb Bowen
A BOOK by ME: Holocaust Series

True stories written by children for children

™


Teaching History, Tolerance, Courage, Compassion, Kindness, Perseverance, Integrity, Cooperation and more.
Announcing a new title in the A BOOK by ME series
#74 The Footstool
The story of a Catholic husband and wife taken from their
happy lives in Poland to serve as forced labor under the Nazis.
Written by Alanna Rumler and illustrated by Jennifer Banks.
Both girls are from Geneseo, Illinois.
Alanna Rumler
Alanna Rumler
The next book to be released in the Holocaust Series is The Footstool by young author Alanna Rumler, illustrated by Jennifer Banks, both of Geneseo, Illinois.
This story was told to Alanna by the granddaughter of the survivor named Jozef Kodyra. Ironically, Jozef was born in the United States and his family moved to Poland when he was a young boy. He grew up there, married Helena and started their family.

Ironically they are not Jewish but nonetheless were taken as prisoners to Dachau Concentration Camp. You can read more about their story below.
It's wonderful the young author was able to meet Jozef's granddaughter named Amanda who passed along his story. Amanda, Alanna and the young artist named Jennifer were able to preserve the story for future generations.

Amanda would like to speak in classrooms in the Quad Cities area to help educate students. If you know a teacher or you are a teacher interested in your class hearing this important story, please contact us today.  She will have copies of this book to sell by April 12.
Sincerely excited about storytelling,
Deb Bowen
Creator, A BOOK by ME
15 Mar 2013

Kelly's kicks off three day St. Patrick's Day event Friday; expects 20,000 to celebrate in 11,000 sf heated tent

By Dan Kelly
DAVENPORT, IOWA – Kelly's Irish Pub and Eatery, located at 2222 E. 53rd St., Davenport, IA, since 2004, will host its ninth annual St. Patrick's Day Festival, Friday March 15, Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17.

St. Pat's 2011 Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBGmsOHp-cM&feature=related

The weekend's festivities kick off Friday at 4:00 p.m. in the big tent, with the Mayer School of Irish Dance, and live music, featuring local acoustic and rock acts. popular Quad City country-rockers, the Dirt Road Rockers will headline up Friday night's show. Also at 7:00 p.m. Friday, the first Quad City Beer Pong Championship will be held with 32 bracketed teams vying for the prize of a Kelly's Party Package.

Saturday, doors open at 6:00 a.m., and the events get started at 7:00 a.m. with a Lucky Charms cereal buffet and continue through the day. To accommodate the Skydiving Leprechauns, the Irish Dancers, a magician, a juggler, games, and 10 hours of live music [complete lineup below], Kelly's has a total of 11,000 square feet of heated tent space. And this year the festivities will include a photo booth, a NASCAR simulator, and TVs in the side tent for college regional conference tournaments and other sporting events. 2013 will also find the return of Mississippi River Distilling Company's River Baron Vodka - made in LeClaire, Iowa. This locally produced small-batch artisan spirit will be featured in a Kelly's Irish Pub & Eatery Signature Drink called the "Skydiving Leprechaun." Kelly's will also be featuring the new Jameson Irish Car Bomb express near the inside bar and a Jameson bar in the west tent, featuring specialty drinks.

In the spirit of community, and to continue a nine year tradition of safe, fun St. Patrick's Day celebrations, Kelly's will be offering a free shuttle service Saturday to make sure people get home safely.

Great food has always been a great tradition at Kelly's and over this year's three-day celebration, the Kelly's team will serve up over two thousand pounds of slow-cooked corned beef, either as a sandwich or as a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, complete with roasted red potatoes.

Sunday will feature a brunch buffet, more live music and the Mayer School of Irish Dance.

The event has consistently been growing since 2005 and Kelly's owner Dan Kelly says he is expecting up to 20,000 attendees this year. "There is no fee for admission, and plenty of nearby parking." Says Kelly, "In addition to an enthusiastic local following, we are seeing folks coming in from the entire region, from as far away as Milwaukee and St. Louis. It's become a regional draw to the Quad Cities."


Event Schedule - Live Entertainment:
FRIDAY
4:00pm  Doors Open
5:00   Mayer School of Irish Dance
6:00   Acoustic Music - Mike Cochrane
7:00   Beer Pong Tournament
7:15   Superfly Samurai
8:45   Pitchin A Tent
10:15  Dirt Road Rockers

SATURDAY
6:00am Doors Open
7:00  Free Lucky Charms Breakfast Buffet
10:00  Irish Spring Giveaway
10:00  Photo Booth Opens
11:00 Irish  Dancers
11:45 Acoustic Music - Chuck Murphy
1:00pm  Acoustic Music - Jason Carl
1:00  Juggler Dean Franzen
2:00  Magician Mark Yeager
2:15  QC Rock Academy Students
3:45  Skydiving Leprechauns
4:00  Mayer School of Irish  Dance
5:00  Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls
6:15  North of 40
7:30  Cosmic
9:00  Third Rail
10:45 Spatterdash

SUNDAY
9:30am   Doors open
11:00  Brunch
11:00  Mayer School of Irish  Dance
12:00pm Myers Brothers
1:15   Whoozdads?
2:45   Jim Ryan

Note: Live entertainment start times are an estimate only and subject to change. The Skydiving Leprechauns will not jump if weather conditions are not optimal.

About Kelly's: Opened in 2004, Kelly's has always been proud of its tradition of great food and great service by a friendly staff in a comfortable atmosphere. With a diverse menu ranging from burgers and pub food to salmon and salads, fried items are hand battered and breaded to order, queso dip and soups are made from scratch, in-house. With 12 flat-screen TV's and a 106-inch big screen, this Irish pub is perfect for watching all the sports action in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Like everyone says: "Kelly's IS Patrick's Day!"

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15 Mar 2013

Governor Quinn Announces $420 Million Circle Interchange Reconstruction is Moving Forward

By Ryan C. Woods

State Will Seek Federal Funds for Critical Project to Ease Congestion, Create Jobs and Improve Safety by Fixing Nation's #1 Bottleneck

 

CHICAGO - Following approval today by a key planning group, Governor Pat Quinn has directed the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to accelerate a $420 million project that will reconstruct Chicago's famed Circle Interchange, improving traffic flow in the most congested interchange in the nation. Today's decision by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to include the project in the "GO TO 2040" long-term transportation plan allows IDOT to pursue federal funding for the landmark project that will create thousands of jobs. Today's announcement is part of the Governor's agenda to create jobs and drive more economic growth.

"Strengthening our transportation system drives economic growth for generations to come while creating thousands of jobs today," Governor Quinn said. "Reconstructing the Circle Interchange will ease congestion, move people and freight more efficiently, and clean up the environment by reducing emissions from idling vehicles."

The Circle Interchange Improvement project will improve traffic flow on the three expressways that meet in the heart of Chicago. According to estimates by transportation planners, it will reduce traffic delays by at least 50 percent; it will save drivers 5 million hours annually; and the improved traffic flow will lead to savings of 1.6 million gallons of fuel per year.

IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider is chair of the CMAP policy committee and presided today over a meeting at which CMAP agreed to IDOT's recommendation to amend the region's long range transportation plan, GO TO 2040,  to accommodate the Circle Interchange project.  Additionally, this project will put hundreds of men and women to work rebuilding and repairing our critical transportation network.

"Through a comprehensive and transparent process, we have identified a plan for the Circle Interchange that will keep our region and our economy moving," Transportation Secretary Schneider said. "We applaud CMAP's decision to support Governor Quinn's efforts to enhance safety and improve congestion at the Circle Interchange and include this project in the region's long-range plan, so we can continue our planning and design efforts without delay."

The Circle Interchange was constructed between 1958 and 1962, and has outlived its design life according to several performance indicators on safety, infrastructure condition and congestion. The interchange experiences an average of 940 crashes per year. In addition, each day,  more than 400,000 vehicles pass through the Circle Interchange, which connects the Kennedy, Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways, and is a vital regional and local hub for commuters, businesses and freight movement. In 2010, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Transportation Research Institute identified the Circle Interchange as the No. 1 bottleneck among highways crucial to the nation's freight transportation system. Of the more than 400,000 vehicles that use the interchange each day, about 33,000 are trucks.

Based on engineering concerns over safety, infrastructure condition and congestion, Governor Quinn last April directed IDOT to begin planning work for this estimated $420 million project. The planning work began in spring 2012 and is proceeding on an accelerated schedule. Extensive stakeholder outreach has been a focal point of a comprehensive planning process, which is expected to be completed in spring 2013.

The proposed scope of the work involve replacing aging ramps and pavement with two existing single-lane ramps (the northbound Dan Ryan (I-90/94) to the westbound Eisenhower (I-290); and the eastbound Eisenhower to northbound Kennedy (I-90/94)) being widened to two-lane ramps providing additional capacity.  In addition, the design of the ramp merging points will be reconfigured to provide safer and more efficient traffic flow. The new design incorporates aesthetic features and improves the multimodal transportation system of the surrounding street network with the inclusion of bike lanes, wider sidewalks and improved access to transit.

As part of the planning process, IDOT has been conducting an extensive public outreach and involvement campaign. The agency has scheduled a Public Hearing to provide an overview of the study process and solicit public input on April 3, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Marriot Chicago at Medical District/UIC, 625 South Ashland Ave. For more information about the project, go to: http://www.circleinterchange.org/.

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