04 Dec 2012

OPERATION GRATITUDE CELEBRATES 900,000th CARE PACKAGE and PRESENTATION OF 800,000th PACKAGE GIFT: AN ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPER

By Operation Graditude

Van Nuys, CA -- Operation Gratitude, the non-profit, volunteer-based Military and Veteran support organization, will have dual cause for celebration when the Milestone 900,000th Care Package rolls off the assembly line, and the special gift from the 800,000th Care Package (sent in June, 2012) is delivered to a returning Soldier on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at the National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, CA.

Hundreds of volunteers will be joined by members of the Military, politicians, notable personalities, Motorcycle enthusiasts and representatives from several of the organization's Corporate Friends and Sponsors, to assemble care packages and to honor 800,000th Care Package recipient Spc. Samuel Mancilla, recently returned from Afghanistan, as he receives his custom-built Orange County Choppers' motorcycle donated in partnership with SJO Foundation for Hope and Torque Sports & Performance.

Operation Gratitude Director of Operations, Rich Hernandez, expects the "milestone moment" to happen shortly after 11 am.

The Doubleheader Celebration wraps up the organization's Deployed Troop Care Package assembly for the year, having made and shipped more than 100,000 Troop, Veteran, Family and Battalion Buddy Care Packages in just six months, since June 2012. Operation Gratitude volunteers will continue to assemble Veteran, Battalion Buddy and their new "Care Giver" packages on weekdays through the end of the year (see Volunteer Schedule for hours).


WHEN:
December 15, 2012
Care Package Assembly 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Milestone Assembly & Celebration: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.


WHERE:
California National Guard Armory
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Corner of Victory and Louise; parking available in adjacent lot


Pink's Hotdogs will be selling lunch on site for all volunteers and guests.


Financial donations are still needed to help pay the assembly and postage expenses of $15 per package.
Every tax deductible donation of $15 sends another care package, personally addressed to American heroes in harm's way, their children anxiously waiting at home, and to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their Care Givers.


Online donations can be made here: Donate .

Donations by check can be made payable and mailed to:
Operation Gratitude
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, CA 91436


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About Operation Gratitude: Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in harm's way, to their children left behind, to Veterans, to Military families in financial distress due to unemployment, to Emergency First Responders and to Wounded Warriors recuperating in transition units. The organization's mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and express to our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at ~$75-100 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. For safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 890,000 packages to American Military members and their children.

04 Dec 2012

QC Students Recognized as IL State Scholars

By Brittany Marietta

RIVERMONT SENIOR RANKS TOP IN ILLINOIS

Rivermont Collegiate is ecstatic to announce senior Darsani Reddy has been named a 2013-14 Illinois State Scholar by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). Darsani is the daughter of Dr. Bouyella and Mrs. Kamala Reddy of Moline, IL.  The State Scholar Program recognizes students for outstanding academic achievement.  Approximately the top ten percent of graduates from approved high schools are recognized as State Scholars each year.

A list of State Scholars in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas is attached.

About the Illinois State Scholar Program

To be eligible, a student must be a resident of Illinois and perform in the top one-half of their class (at the end of their junior year) and/or score in the 95th percentile on the ACT, SAT, or Prairie State Achievement Exam.  Once all students who meet these criteria are identified, a formula based on standardized test scores and performance-based academic data is used to select State Scholars.  While the prestigious recognition does not include a monetary award, recipients are encouraged to cite the award on college admission applications.  For additional information, visit http://www.isac.org.

About Darsani Reddy

Darsani, who was also recently named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program, is a member of National Honor Society and President of the Rivermont Computer Club.  She is a member of the Varsity Basketball team and Show Choir and enjoys participating in Rivermont theater productions and volunteering at Trinity Medical Center.  Currently, Darsani is exploring The University of Chicago, Syracuse University, and Washington University in St. Louis, among other schools.

Congratulations to Darsani - the entire Rivermont community is extremely proud of this accomplishment!
04 Dec 2012

IOWA: A Glimpse off the Cliff; Heritage Has the Numbers

By Corrine Williams

Ever wonder what life would look like come January if Congress and the President failed to avert the now famous "fiscal cliff?"  Remember the classic Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life?" The main character, George Bailey, is brought back from the brink by his guardian angel after a glimpse of what life would look like if he'd never been born.  A remake may be in order.  This time the plot falls in DC where Congress and the President get to see what their family, friends and many communities across the country would look like if they don't extend the current tax rates and find meaningful spending reductions.

Would you believe a 47-year-old farmer from Des Moines, Iowa would see a $1206 tax increase next year? Economists and labor experts at The Heritage Foundation have the numbers on how your family budget and community (click here for interactive map) would be affected.

Raising taxes on any income level is a lose-lose situation for our economy.  According to the Department of Treasury figures, 1.2 million Americans who employ people are earning $250,000 or more a year and paying their taxes through the individual income tax.  They would be hit head-on. The amount that their taxes would go up could be roughly equivalent to one employee's salary, meaning that's one person they can't hire in the new year. A study by Ernst and Young estimates that these tax hikes would kill 710,000 jobs.

The nation cannot afford the massive tax increases and continued levels of spending initiated under President Obama. The nation's workers cannot afford the sustained additional upward pressure on unemployment that would follow from raising tax rates. The problem is government spending. President Obama and Congress should focus on the problem and forget these destructive tax-hike obsessions.
04 Dec 2012

2013 Official Missouri Travel Guide Now Available

By Stephen Foutes

Jefferson City, Mo. – If the approach of winter doesn't already have you thinking about your summer vacation, the 2013 Official Missouri Travel Guide certainly will.

The Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) has published its 2013 Official Missouri Travel Guide, a carry-along travel-planning tool for visitors seeking information about the Show-Me State's incredible lineup of attractions and destinations. The cover is an inviting scene showing a couple enjoying a beautiful sunset over the Lake of the Ozarks.

This annual publication offers information on thousands of Missouri tourism assets - from public tours and museums to live-show venues and ziplines - plus lodging options, golf courses, wineries, breweries, campgrounds, canoe outfitters and Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites.

"The Missouri Travel Guide continues to be a popular and useful tool for travelers to enjoy," says Katie Steele Danner, MDT's director. "Missouri has a diverse tourism industry, and we're pleased to share the Show-Me State with future visitors."

You can pick up a 2013 Official Missouri Travel Guide at a variety of locations across Missouri, including MDT's seven Official Welcome Centers, MDT's Affiliate Welcome Centers, local chambers of commerce, and convention and visitors bureaus. Call 800-519-4800 to order a copy of the guide, and you can order online at VisitMO.com.

In addition to listings of tourism-related businesses around Missouri, the Travel Guide includes color photos and feature stories on Missouri's vacation regions. Other content focuses on made-in-Missouri products, regional dining options (with many favorites selected by MDT's Facebook fans), and genealogy-research facilities.

For more information about the 2013 Official Missouri Travel Guide, or to schedule an interview with Tourism Director Katie Steele Danner, please contact Stephen Foutes at Stephen.Foutes@ded.mo.gov or call 573-751-3208.


About the Missouri Division of Tourism
The Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) is the official tourism office for the state of Missouri dedicated to marketing Missouri as a premier travel destination. Established in 1967, the Missouri Division of Tourism has worked hard to develop the tourism industry in Missouri to what it is today, an $11.2 billion industry supporting more than 279,000 jobs and generating $627 million in state taxes in Fiscal Year 2011. For every dollar spent on marketing Missouri as a travel destination in FY11, $57.76 was returned in visitor expenditures. For more information on Missouri tourism, go to www.VisitMO.com.

04 Dec 2012

Governor Quinn Announces First Project of Illinois Clean Water Initiative

By Erin Wilson

City of Pekin to Receive $4.8 Million Low-Interest Loan to Improve Waste Water Treatment System; Support Almost 400 Jobs

PEKIN - December 4, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Director John Kim, and Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) Executive Director Chris Meister today announced that the first loan of the governor's Illinois Clean Water Initiative would be awarded to the city of Pekin to improve a wastewater treatment plant. As part of the governor's $1 billion water infrastructure initiative, the city completed the necessary application and meets the eligibility criteria to qualify for a long-term, low-interest $4.8 million loan, which is being jointly administered by IEPA and the IFA. This project will create or support nearly 400 jobs by improving local water infrastructure.

"Just as Illinois was defined by its waterways, so too was Pekin," Governor Quinn said. "Built by skilled laborers, this new wastewater treatment facility will protect the health of Pekin's residents and its waterways. The project is a prime example of how the Illinois Clean Water Initiative is an investment in our environment, health and the creation of good-paying jobs."

In October, Governor Quinn launched the Illinois Clean Water Initiative to help local governments overhaul aging drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and pipes, and ensure that residents will have access to safe drinking water and that our environment will remain protected. More than 350 local governments have already expressed need for the program. Many Illinois residents are receiving drinking water through water mains that are nearly a century old; and scores of other drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities are in dire need of repair.

The city of Pekin is using the proceeds of this loan to complete phased improvements to its wastewater system that were initiated in 2011. The project cost is nearly $40 million, which utilized previous IEPA loans of $35 million. This major upgrade to Pekin's wastewater system will provide a significant increase in treatment capacity that will improve the ability of the plant to meet current and future discharge standards. A project summary is attached.

"The Clean Water Initiative will benefit Pekin and other communities greatly with improved infrastructure and reduced risk of environmental harm caused by leaking piping," said IEPA Director John Kim.

Governor Quinn proposed the Illinois Clean Water Initiative during his State of the State address, and later this year directed the IEPA and the IFA to move forward to access $1 billion in long-term, low-interest loans to local governments for drinking water and wastewater systems across the state. IEPA has lent $4.3 billion to 472 Illinois communities since 1989. There has never been a defaulted loan during the program's history.

The program provides a substantial increase in the clean water and drinking water low-interest revolving loan programs administered by Illinois EPA. The program provides financing to communities for projects such as wastewater treatment plant upgrades and expansions, new sewer lines, drinking water treatment plant modifications and expansions and new or replacement water distribution systems.

The Pekin Clean Water Initiative will create 190 construction jobs plus approximately 180 associated jobs by equipment suppliers, manufacturers and fabricators, raw material suppliers and fabricators, and utility providers. Pipefitters, plumbers, operating engineers, carpenters, electricians, ironworkers and others will replace broken water mains, build treatment plants, upgrade sewers and prevent environmental threats.

The SRF is funded with annual federal grants, a one-time infusion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds, plus principal and interest from loan repayments. No new state tax dollars will be used. Needed equity will be provided by the existing loan portfolio and future federal capitalization grant dollars.

To learn more about the Illinois Clean Water Initiative, visit CleanWater.Illinois.gov

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04 Dec 2012

HO! HO! HO! SANTA IS COMING TO THE DAVENPORT LIBRARY!

By Steve Hart

He's made his list and he's checked it twice; now Santa's ready to visit the Davenport Public Library this holiday season.  Santa's been here once already this year and is making two more special trips to the Main Street Library (321 Main Street) on Saturday, December 8 and 15, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.; and from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 pm. each day.  Due to Mr. Claus' popularity, we ask that all families are in line no later than 2:15 p.m.

Parents can bring their cameras to take pictures, and there will be goodies for the kids.  Make sure to come early for a chance to see Santa pull up in his amazing Santamobile!

Wells Fargo Bank and Davenport Printing Company sponsor this merry event. For more information call (563) 326-7832.

***
04 Dec 2012

JORDAN ENGINEERING PROGRAM EVENTS

By Janine Parr
Jordan is the first school in the area to establish a K-8 STEM program. The following ground-breaking events are planned:

"STEM-stirs" Show and Share Night
Jordan Catholic School, Wednesday, December 5th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm Jordan Catholic School is the first school in the Quad Cities to sponsor 11 junior FLL teams (K through 4th grade Junior First Lego League) and is having a Show and Share Night to show
our community the students' projects and their journey to learn more about "Super Seniors" and how the senior citizen's lives have changed since they were kids. Please join us and view the first ever Jr. FLL projects to be displayed in the Quad Cities area. The event will take place in the lower level of the school. Please enter via the South doors and turn left down the stairs.

JET to host 2012 First Lego League Regional Competition - Senior Solutions
Jordan Catholic School, Saturday, December 15th from 8:00am to 4:00pm
Jordan Catholic School, in support of First Lego League, offers an Engineering and Technology program. JET (5-8th grade) has participated in FLL successfully for four years and is taking the next step- hosting the first ever Illinois FLL Regional Qualifier in the Quad Cities. Fifteen teams from around the area will compete in the 2012 FLL Senior Solutions Challenge for four coveted spots to advance to the state competition in Arlington Heights on January 19, 2013. The event will take place in Farrell Hall. Please enter via the Farrell Hall doors around the back of the school.


04 Dec 2012

Wreaths Across America Honors Local Veterans During the Holidays

By Jessica McDunn

Local Veterans Remembered During the Holidays

Wreaths Across America™ Day to honor veterans at Ames Municipal Cemetery and over 750 participating locations nationwide

 

AMES, Iowa (Dec. 4, 2012) - On Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, members of the Ames community will gather together to honor veterans during the holiday season as part of the Wreaths Across America™ (WAA) Day.

Stevens Memorial Chapel, the local Dignity Memorial® provider in Ames, has volunteered to conduct the WAA ceremony this year at the Ames Municipal Cemetery, 310 East Ninth Street, on Saturday, December 15 starting at 11 a.m. Eight ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served, honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms.

Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, POW/MIA and Revolutionary War veterans will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at more than 750 participating locations all across the country. Locally, this project has been spearheaded by Stevens Memorial Chapel Funeral Director Paul Smith, the son of a Korean War veteran and descendant of multiple Revolutionary War veterans.

In 2012, it is projected that more than 400,000 wreaths will be placed nationwide by over 150,000 volunteers as part of the WAA mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.

The Wreaths Across America story began more than 20 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine, initiated a tradition of donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of our nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. Recognition of the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families is especially poignant during the traditional holiday season.

Worcester Wreath Company continues to be a major supporter of the project, donating over 30,000 wreaths in 2011. More than 400,000 will be sponsored by individuals, businesses and community groups nationwide. Wreaths will be placed in all 50 states from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii, and at 24 national cemeteries on foreign soil.

About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America is a national non-profit organization that has grown quickly to encompass over 750 participating locations and more than 150,000 volunteers around the country. The WAA's mission is to Remember, Honor and Teach. Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve including families who sacrifice and Teach our children the cost of the freedoms we enjoy each day. It is our shared belief that...

"The nation which forgets its defenders will soon be forgotten." Calvin Coolidge

WAA pursues its mission with nationwide wreath-laying events amid the holiday season and year-round educational outreach inviting all Americans to appreciate our freedoms and the cost at which they are delivered.

About Stevens Memorial Chapel and the Dignity Memorial network

Stevens Memorial Chapel is a proud Dignity Memorial provider in Ames. The Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,800 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers is North America's most trusted resource for funeral and memorialization services. Dignity Memorial providers offer an unmatched combination of products and locations serving families with care, integrity, respect and service excellence. For more information, visit www.StevensMemorialChapel.com.

- END -
04 Dec 2012

USA Network and Mediacom Award Quad Cities Principal

By Khalan Boyer

USA NETWORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEDIACOM HONOR QUAD CITIES TEACHER WITH A CHARACTERS UNITE AWARD FOR HIS EFFORTS TO COMBAT PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

 

Phillip Ambrose, Principal of Thurgood Marshall Learning Center in Rock Island, to Be Recognized at an Awards Ceremony on December 7; Also Featured on USA Network On-Air and Online as Part of Characters Unite Campaign

WHAT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing its highly successful multiplatform public service campaign to address social injustices and bridge cultural divides, USA Network, along with its distribution partners, have selected ten winners for the 2012 Characters Unite Awards. The winners were selected from hundreds of nominees for their extraordinary efforts in combating prejudice and discrimination while increasing tolerance and acceptance in their communities. 

Each honoree will be acknowledged during a hometown award ceremony and will receive a $5,000 grant from USA Network and participating local distribution partners to support his/her project or related nonprofit organization. Additionally, honorees will be featured on-air in a PSA and online at charactersunite.com.

Local Davenport resident Phillip Ambrose is among the ten winners selected and will be recognized at an award ceremony in Rock Island, IL. Phillip Ambrose is a Principal at the Thurgood Marshall Learning Center, an alternative school serving the Rock Island/Milan School District in Illinois.  Under the leadership of Principal Ambrose, the school pursues and engages in compelling projects to increase awareness of diversity, tolerance and respect through innovative cross-curricular activities.  Most recently, with the school's Tuskegee Airmen Project, students studied how the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first squadron of African-American pilots, overcame prejudice to achieve their goal of fighting for their country. The next project the school plans to undertake is entitled Beyond the Dream; 50 years (1963-2013), which studies tolerance in America and the impact of significant events and people over the course of the last 50 years, from Dr. King's famous "I have a dream" speech to Barack Obama's presidency.

Mediacom Communications is the local distribution partner for USA Network, and will be co-hosting the awards program and lunch at Thurgood Marshall Learning Center.
04 Dec 2012

Give one last gift this holiday season, give blood

By Ben Corey

PEORIA, Ill. (Dec. 4, 2012) ? The holiday season is here, and with it comes the exchange of gifts amongst family and friends. But many hospital patients have a gift on their wish list this year that only generous hearts can give: a blood donation.

Once the hustle and bustle of the holidays subsides, the American Red Cross reminds people to give one last gift ? give blood. A blood donation can be the most meaningful gift of the season.

As many as 44,000 blood donations are needed every day across the country to meet the needs of patients. Make an appointment to donate by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County
Dec. 29 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Third St. in Savanna, Ill.

Clinton County
Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lyondell Chemical Co., 3400 Anamosa Road in Clinton, Iowa

Henry County
Dec. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Kewanee Hospital, 1051 W. South St. in Kewanee, Ill.
Dec. 26 from 2-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Mercer County
Dec. 18 from 12-6 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Scott County
Dec. 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mel Foster Co., 3211 E. 35th St. Court in Davenport, Iowa

Whiteside County
Dec. 18 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.
Dec. 19 from 2-6 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
Dec. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
Dec. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.
Dec. 27 from 3-7 p.m. at Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

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

Shop the Holiday Giving Catalog:  The 2012 Holiday Giving Catalog at redcross.org/holiday has even more charitable gift ideas. Shoppers can buy food and shelter for disaster victims, phone cards for members of the U.S. armed forces or vaccinations for an entire village, among many other gifts. Catalog purchases come with greeting cards for loved ones, letting them know a donation was made in their name.

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.

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