WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS!

Arndt Chiropractic Center, Inc. - Dr. Lisa Arndt, 3359 Middle Road - Ste. 1, Bettendorf, IA 52722. www.arndtchiropractic.com Dr. Arndt is a National Board Certified Chiropractor and Registered Nurse, proud of providing "Gentle" chiropractic care for the QC community. Accepting new patients!563-332-2211 

Operation American Made - Darrin Lampman, CEO, PO Box 28, LeClaire, IA 52753. 563-729-1022. www.operation-american-made.com Online auction of American made products, benefiting local vendors. 

Conceptual Designs - Michelle Blunk, Owner, 2117 State Street - Ste. 110, Bettendorf, IA 52722.  563-823-6123 www.conceptualdesignsinc.com Conceptual Designs is a full service design firm that specializes in commercial interior design and interior architecture, professionally licensed in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. We excel in providing unique design solutions for not only commercial interiors, but offices, retail spaces and healthcare facilities as well.

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 is all there....In LeClaire!"

CALENDAR

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

January 27^th - Beer Tasting! The Faithful Pilot 3:00-5:00p.m. $15 per person. 15 hand crafted beer selections paired with chef's small bites. Book your glass now! 563.289.4156

January 28^th - Economic Development Meeting (Rescheduled due to holiday January 21^st) Great River Financial - 8:00 a.m.

Save the Date

February 1^st - First Friday - Downtown LeClaire - 5-8 p.m. Food and Beverage Samples at Mississippi River Distilling Company  www.mrdistilling.com Wine samples at Wide River Winery Serving dips paired with our award winning locally made wines. Recipes available andFREE samples. www.wideriverwinery.com Many restaurants and several shops will be open late!

February 3^rd - Family Yoga - Reusable Usables Family Yoga - 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5 per person or $15 for up to four people.  Taught by yoga Jennifer Vondracek, Executive Director of Yoga.  Family Yoga will be held once a month for families with children ages 2 & up.   No experience necessary!  For schedule  for Women's Full Moon Yoga Circle 2013, or with questions, please contact jenniferv@yogag.org or 563-289-3946Reservations are appreciated but not required, via facebook or email. Cost: $8 Donation.Class held at Reusable Usables Creative Arts Center Studio 122, 328 N Cody/LeClaire, IA  52753   www.reusableusables.org

February 8^th - Reusable Usables NEW Freezer Meal Workshop 6:30 PM.  Let's get together and make enough meals to fill our freezers!  Bring your bags filled with designated "protein" and other groceries. Go home with 10 meals, each feeding a family of 4-6, ready to freeze - just thaw, cook and enjoy!   $73 (includes all Wildtree products, recipes and shipping). Contact Kate Ramsdell ramsdellgirls@yahoo.com•www.mywildtree.com/katewildtree/ (This is an "Adults Only" event.)

February 9th - Trivia Night - LeClaire Civic Center benefiting the Coe Noack Memorial Scholarship. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with trivia starting at 7 p.m. Participants may bring beer, wine, snacks and soda. Water and snacks will also be for sale. Up to eight people per table. $10 per person with a $50 table minimum. Everyone will be entered into a drawing for door prizes.Contact Chris at chris@ccx.net or 563-505-6703 for reservations or information. Don't have enough for a full table? Come anyway and we can put you on a table that needs people!

February 14^th - Valentine's Day at Crane and Pelican - 3 Course Dinner - $45 per person ($90 per couple) Details and Menu atwww.craneandpelican.com

February 14^th - Valentine's Day at The Faithful Pilot - 2 seatings - 5:30 and 8:00p.m. $75 per person, 5 courses. 563.289.4156www.faithfulpilot.com

February 24^th - The Buffalo Bill Museum will Celebrate Buffalo Bill's Birthday! 12 noon to 4 p.m. (closing). Refreshments, free admission, and a "Buffalo Bill & Annie Oakley Look-Alike Contest" for children (Judging at 2pm). Hope to see everyone there! www.buffalobillmuseumleclaire.com

FYI

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

The LeClaire Information Center is seeking volunteers to serve as "Ambassadors" introducing visitors to the attractions, shops, neighborhoods, and business opportunities in LeClaire. Training is provided; schedules are flexible. If you want to share the excitement of LeClaire, please consider this opportunity to serve your community. Call 563-289-4242 (ext 1135) or email Cindy Bruhn, Tourism Manager, at Info@VisitLeClaire.com 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.

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.

Reusable Usables Women's Full Moon Yoga Circle 2013 For schedule or with questions, please contact jenniferv@yogag.org or call 563-289-3946. Reservations are appreciated but not required via facebook or email. Cost: $8 Donation. Classes held at Reusable Usables Creative Arts Center Studio 122, 328 N Cody/LeClaire, IA  52753  www.reusableusables.org

Reusable Usables Planet Green After School Classes Planet Green After School Program for ages 5-12. Learn creative and fun ways to respect our planet with hands on eco-friendly art and educational activities based on the Iowa DNR Planet Patrol Series. Thanks to grant funding from Iowa DNR. Ask about our sibling discounts. Pre-register in advance by calling 563-289-3936 or at www.reusableusables.org Planet Green class options and fees: Option #1: Class two times per week - TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS 4:00-5:30 PM $36 per student per month Option #2: Class one time per week - TUESDAYS OR THURSDAYS 4:00-5:30 PM $25 per student per month

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.

Trivia Nights in LeClaire at the LeClaire Civic Center

2013 Trivia Nights:

February 9th - Coe Noack Memorial Scholarship

March 9^th - Hosted by First Presbyterian Church - Hurricane Sandy Victims

April 6th - LeClaire Little League

May 4^th - 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

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

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

Summer 2013 - Bike Parade & Decorating

August 9-11, 2013 - Tug Fest

October 13, 2013 - Apple Fest

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

CHICAGO- January 24, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bill:

Bill No.: SB 3233  

An Act Concerning: Insurance 

Allows health maintenance organizations to charge deductibles for basic health care services, which may not exceed limits set by the IRS.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

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PORT BYRON, IL - Winter is in full swing, and state Rep. Mike Smiddy (D?Hillsdale) isencouraging residents struggling to pay their heating bills to apply for assistance through thestate's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Eligible households couldreceive reconnection assistance, emergency furnace assistance, or a one-time payment or regularassistance in paying a gas or electric bill.

"LIHEAP is a lifesaving resource for families that need a little extra help to make it through thewinter," said Smiddy. "Residents need to know that there is help out there to prevent having theirheat shut off, especially as temperatures continue to drop."

To be eligible for the program, household monthly incomes must be no greater than $1,396 for ahousehold of one, $1,891 for a household of two, $2,386 for a household of three, or $2,881 fora household of four.

Additional income guidelines can be found at www.LIHEAPIllinois.com orby calling (877) 411-9276.

Applicants must provide proof of income for the 30-day period before the application date, acopy of their heat or electric bill issued within the previous 30 days, proof of Social Securitynumber for every resident in the house, and documentation of assistance received through otherpublic programs such as TANF or SNAP. Grants are issued until available funding runs out, andresidents are encouraged to apply early.

To begin the application process, residents must make an appointment with a community agencythat administers the LIHEAP program. Whiteside and Carroll County residents should contactthe Tri-County Opportunities Council, with 8 locations including offices in Savanna, Rock Falls,and Sterling, by calling (815) 625-7830 or the toll free number at (800) 323-5434. Henry andRock Island County residents should contact the Project NOW administrative office at (309)793-6391. In addition to 4 outreach offices in Rock Island, Moline, Kewanee, and Aledo, ProjectNOW hosts occasional satellite office sites in the community.

For more information, contact Smiddy's constituent services office at (309) 848-9098 or RepSmiddy@gmail.com.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 24, 2013 ? The U.S. Grains Council today launched its 2012 online Annual Report, available now at www.usgcAnnualReport.org.

The online report includes success stories from the year, video highlights, photographs, and market profiles from more than 25 countries and regions. Market profile pages display supply/demand charts, market growth potential and other information viewers may find useful, including highlights from Council programs in each country.

"Since the Council was founded 52 years ago, we have focused continuously on building markets and expanding trade opportunities for U.S. farmers and agribusinesses," said Don Fast, USGC chairman.

"By promoting sound trade policies, building relationships between trading partners and being a reliable third-party resource, the Council and its members have enhanced food security and food choice for countless people around the world. This work is at the heart of our mission of Developing Markets, Enabling Trade and Improving Lives. The Council's global staff live and breathe it - and it makes us proud to witness their efforts."

An exclusive feature of the online report provides access to downloadable spread sheets containing supply/demand data for more than 25 countries and regions that are provided on the individual market profile pages.

The online report is available on its own website, www.usgcAnnualReport.org, while the printed publication will be mailed to Council members. A downloadable form of the printed publication is also available online.

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The U.S. Grains Council is a private, non-profit partnership of farmers and agribusinesses committed to building and expanding international markets for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and their products. The Council is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 10 international offices that oversee programs in more than 50 countries. Financial support from our private industry members, including state checkoffs, agribusinesses, state entities and others, triggers federal matching funds from the USDA resulting in a combined program value of more than $28.3 million.

The U.S. Grains Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital/family status. Persons with disabilities, who require alternative means for communication of program information, should contact the U.S. Grains Council.