05 Dec 2012

Figge Art Museum Awarded Humanities Iowa Grant

By Natalie Dunlop

Davenport, Iowa (December 2012) - The Figge Art Museum is pleased to announce it has received a grant from Humanities Iowa. The Figge was recently awarded a $5,000 grant for its upcoming exhibition Marking Territory: Cartographic Treasures of the Mississippi Valley and the World Beyond which will be on display from March 3, 2013 - June 16, 2013.

Marking Territory is a Figge-curated exhibition that draws upon the map collection of the University of Iowa Libraries as well as a private collection. Featuring a selection of 25-plus historic maps that range from early representations of the world to more detailed examinations of America's vast interior west of the Mississippi, the exhibition explores how maps communicate highly complex ideas about identity, politics and culture. The exhibition will be part of the Figge's ongoing exhibition series Visions of Iowa. Established in 2009, the series provides a platform for showcasing art that provides a historical and contemporary perspective on the people and places that make up Iowa.

The exhibition will be supplemented with extensive educational programming such as lectures, gallery talks and family events. Funding from Humanities Iowa will be used to support educational programming for the exhibition.

Humanities Iowa is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and brings the humanities to the public through grant making, publications, and through interactive programming and events; www.uiowa.edu/~humiowa.The views and opinions expressed by the exhibition and its educational programming do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information and museum hours, contact the Figge at 563.326.7804 or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

 

-end-
04 Dec 2012

Statement from Governor Pat Quinn Regarding Traffic Safety Legislation

By Nafia Khan

CHICAGO - December 4, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today issued a statement thanking the Illinois State Senate for passing new traffic safety legislation that will help ensure every Illinois motorist is properly licensed.

"There are more than 250,000 immigrant drivers on Illinois roads today who have not passed a driving test, which presents a dangerous risk to other drivers. Our roads can be safer if we ensure that every driver in Illinois learns the rules of the road and is trained to drive safely.

"This legislation is about safety and responsibility. By making sure every driver is properly insured, Senate Bill 957 will improve traffic safety and save Illinois motorists $46 million a year in insurance premiums.

"I want to thank the members of the Illinois Senate for their bipartisan passage of legislation that will save lives and help more immigrants become stronger contributors to our economy.

"I urge members of the House to act quickly to make our roads safer and reduce the financial burden on all Illinois drivers."

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04 Dec 2012

2013 SEASONAL & YEAR-ROUND STAFF & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT CAMP COURAGEOUS

By Charlie Becker
Camp Courageous is a year-round recreational and respite care facility for individuals with disabilities. Campers with mental and physical disabilities, head injuries, hearing or visual impairments, autism and other special needs are served.

Volunteer positions, internships, and paid positions are available in all camp departments.

In the area of program, working with adults with disabilities is often a very real challenge. Campers may need help with personal care including feeding, dressing, and toileting. Some campers exhibit challenging behaviors.  Patience, energy, good judgment and enthusiasm are important attributes for a position at Camp Courageous.  The hours are long.  An unselfish attitude and an emphasis on teamwork are needed. Staff members are expected to put the campers' needs before their own. If you possess these skills, consider applying for a position.  Paid counselors and activity specialists receive the best camp employment package. Room and board are provided which includes an air-conditioned staff dormitory affording separate living quarters from the campers.  Staff share cabin duty on a rotating basis.  Other benefits include a restricted medical plan for seasonal staff and health insurance for year-round Program Specialists.  The spring season runs from March 25 to May 17 and the summer runs from May 19 to August 16,2013. This includes staff training. Positions include Counselors & Activity Specialists. Non-tobacco users please.

Camp Courageous also currently has a year-round Dietary Director position and other positions in the dietary department available.

Candidates for year-round positions must have previous experience. Seasonal positions are for one or more seasons. Apply on-line by accessing camp's website at www.campcourageous.org.

For more information on volunteering contact Shannon Poe by email at shannon@campcouargeous.org
or call 319-465-5916, ext 2320. For more information on program employment contact Jeanne Muellerleile by e-mail at jeanne@campcourageous.org or call 319-465-5916, ext 2300. For more information on the Dietary Diretor's position contact Charlie Becker by e-mail at cbecker@campcourageous.org. Camp Courageous is located at 12007 190th Street, PO Box 418, Monticello, IA 52310-0418.

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04 Dec 2012

New book examines the history of the gay press and its contribution to gay rights

By Prairie Avenue Productions

Chicago, Illinois - As gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals became more visible in the 1950s and 1960s, the mainstream media perpetuated the attitude that they were mentally ill and morally depraved queers, freaks, degenerates, perverts, misfits, and even threats to national security. In many cities, the police raided gay bars, harassing and arresting patrons.

Community-based gay newsletters and newspapers emerged to counteract the distorted view of non-heterosexuals and to support the rising gay-rights movement. They addressed gay issues, formed a sense of unity, announced demonstrations, and tracked the progress of legal and political action.

Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America, edited and co-written by Tracy Baim, publisher of Chicago's gay publication Windy City Times, is a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future of gay print media. Baim uses essays, interviews, and hundreds of news clips and images from both mainstream and early gay publications to describe the critical role of the gay press. Award-winning historian John D'Emilio provided the book's foreword.

Part One covers the history of discrimination against non-heterosexuals throughout the 20th century and the birth of gay and lesbian publications, including Friendship & Freedom, Vice Versa, ONE, Mattachine Review, and The Ladder. Most of the publications during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s were produced on smallbudgets by gay societies or activists and volunteers. Many were short-lived, but others were catalysts for tolerance and acceptance. Gradually, the mainstream media became more supportive of gay rights.

Part Two is a series of essays by and about journalists who documented the gay movement, recounting their experiences and providing observations and insights.

Part Three features the history of 10 gay publications in 10 major cities as told by their publishers, editors or reporters. Each one represents the challenges, risks, and struggles to survive that were common among almost all gay periodicals.

Part Four focuses on the business of gay publications. Initially, funding came from subscribers and classified ads since advertisers were reluctant to buy display ads-until they realized the growing gay population was a potentially profitable untapped market. Many major brands, retail stores, restaurant chains and service providers began targeting the gay community through its publications and even in some mainstream magazines.

Part Five reflects on the contribution of the gay press, yet debates its value as a source of news and advocacy in the era of the Internet, social media, and the economics of print media.

Gay Press, Gay Power:

The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America

Prairie Avenue Productions and Windy City Media Group

468 pages, 485 illustrations

Black & White, ISBN 1480080527, $25

https://www.createspace.com/4022184 or http://www.amazon.com/Gay-Press-Power-Community-Newspapers/dp/1480080527

Color, ISBN: 1481047213, $89

https://www.createspace.com/4064472or http://www.amazon.com/Gay-Press-Power-Community-Newspapers/dp/1481047213

In Chicago it is also available at Women & Children First Bookstore.

About the Editor/Co-Author:

Tracy Baim is publisher and executive editor at Windy City Media Group, which produces Windy City Times, Nightspots, and other gay media in Chicago. She co-founded Windy City Times in 1985 and Outlines newspaper in 1987. She has won numerous gay community and journalism honors, including the Community Media Workshop's Studs Terkel Award.  www.windycitymediagroup.com

Baim is the author of Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage (2010, Prairie Avenue Productions). She is also the co-author and editor of Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community (2008, Agate), the first comprehensive book on Chicago's gay history (see www.ChicagoGayHistory.org); and author of Where the World Meets, a book about Gay Games VII in Chicago (2007, www.Lulu.com).

Her most recent books include a novel, The Half Life of Sgt. Jen Hunter (2010, Prairie Avenue Productions), and the biographies Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow and Jim Flint: The Boy From Peoria (both 2011, written with Owen Keehnen, and published by Prairie Avenue Productions).

What People Are Saying:

"Comprehensive, well written, and well researched, this media journey from homosexual to gay to queer is eye-opening and inspiring. The bravery of individuals, groups, collectives, and organizations here is breathtaking and vital. This book is endlessly entertaining and extremely important."

- Michael Bronski, author of "A Queer History of the United States"

Professor of the Practice in Activism and Media, Harvard University.

"The political successes of the gay liberation movement, and the defeats, were reported in the pages of the lesbian and gay press while the mainstream press ignored or denigrated our efforts. Tracy Baim has long represented the best of the GLBT press, and this book will be a valuable resource in the struggle not to forget our history as we continue to fight for our future."

- Larry Gross, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism

Author of "Up From Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men and the Media in America"

"Gay Press, Gay Power is a meticulous and prodigious work, long overdue. It will be a reference source-but, more importantly, a source of inspiration."

- Barbara Ettorre, former reporter for The New York Times, New York Daily News and Chicago Today. Founder and editor, LetterBalm.com.

"This meticulously researched book captures the flavor and nuance of a myriad of specific events and times through compelling interviews with the people involved, gay and straight, backed up with insightful analysis. Hundreds of images of magazine covers, news clips, photos and ads from the 1800s to today present a comprehensive, stunning visual history of the evolving relationship between the media and the LGBT community. Belongs on everyone's bookshelf."

- Jean Latz Griffin, former Chicago Tribune reporter

Author of "In the Same Breath and One Spirit: A Creation Story for the 21st Century"

"Gay Press, Gay Power tells the story of the women and men who focused a revolutionary lens on our activism and still grind it every day, brightening the light on the paths of the LGBT generations that succeed us."

- John Teets, former editor for the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.

04 Dec 2012

Lt. Governor Simon praises Senate passage of licenses for all eligible Illinois drivers

By Kara Beach

SPRINGFIELD - December 4, 2012. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today issued the following statement regarding the Senate's passage of legislation to issue every qualified Illinois resident a driver's license.

"I am pleased to see the Senate take this important step toward making our roads safer for all Illinois residents. Regardless of legal status, we need to make sure every eligible driver in our state has received the proper training and carries insurance - before they get behind the wheel. This is an important public safety measure that will do just that, and I hope the House will pass the bill quickly and send it to the Governor's desk," Simon said.

Simon joined the bipartisan coalition supporting Senate Bill 957 based on her experience as a Jackson County prosecutor who witnessed the damaging financial impacts of uninsured, unlicensed drivers on Illinois roadways. New licenses are also projected to generate much needed new revenue for the state, she said.

 ###

04 Dec 2012

American Lung Association Report Says U.S. at Tipping Point for Policies that Help Smokers Quit

By Micki Sandquist
Coverage in Iowa is lacking

Des Moines, IA- The United States is at a tipping point when it comes to policies that help smokers quit, according to the American Lung Association's ?Helping Smokers Quit: Tobacco Cessation Coverage 2012? report. The annual report provides a  comprehensive review of each state's tobacco cessation coverage and an up-to-date look at federal coverage and requirements
under the Affordable Care Act.

"Over the next year key decisions will be made by the federal government and the states about whether or not they will help save lives, prevent disease and reduce health costs," said Micki Sandquist, Executive Director at the American Lung Association in Iowa. "We know that the vast majority of smokers want to quit, but the complex web of state and federal coverage for effective quit smoking programs and treatments prevents too many from getting the help they need. States and the federal government can reduce the enormous health burden of tobacco use by providing access to these proven interventions."

The American Lung Association report shows that the federal government has missed several key opportunities to improve access to quit smoking medications and counseling. The record for the states is mixed, but far too many fail to ensure coverage.

The report's key findings are:

Medicaid Coverage:

Two states provide comprehensive cessation coverage: Indiana and Massachusetts; two states provide NO cessation coverage: Alabama and Georgia; four states provided new counseling benefits for pregnant women in 2012: Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and Connecticut and Tennessee announced new benefits for everyone in 2012 that are close to comprehensive.

State Employee Health Plan Coverage:

Four states provide comprehensive coverage: Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Rhode Island;

Zero states provide no coverage; and Florida, Georgia, Nebraska and New Jersey added new cessation benefits for state
employees in 2012.

Investment in State Quitlines:

Telephone quitlines are also an essential part of any state's tobacco cessation efforts. As more and more smokers want to quit, the majority of states are not providing adequate funding for their quitlines.

Only two states?Maine and South Dakota?currently invest in quitlines at or above the recommended amount. This is a critical lost opportunity for people who are trying to quit.

Federal Coverage:

On November 26, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that requires the Essential Health Benefit coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act to cover preventive services, including tobacco cessation.  However, because HHS has not yet defined what insurers must include as part of a tobacco cessation benefit, the Administration missed a crucial opportunity. Now, each state can choose its own benchmark plan, which will then serve as the Essential Health Benefit standard for plans in that state's health insurance exchange. Until HHS officially defines a comprehensive tobacco cessation benefit, it has missed a crucial opportunity to provide many smokers with new access to help quitting, and to establish tobacco cessation as a truly essential health benefit for all health insurance coverage.

Iowa policymakers can now help smokers quit by including comprehensive tobacco cessation benefits as they implement state health insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansions.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The economic costs in the U.S. due to tobacco total $193 billion annually. Providing comprehensive quit-smoking treatments is crucial in both saving lives and curbing health costs - one recent study showed that providing this help has a 3-to-1 return on investment.

"Giving all smokers access to a comprehensive cessation benefit is not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do," said Sandquist. "The bottom line is that quitting smoking saves lives and saves money."

###

Editor's Note: Available as a standalone graphic is ?Tobacco Cessation Treatment: What is covered??? the American Lung Association's breakdown of what the biggest health insurance programs cover for tobacco cessation and how the Affordable Care Act changes coverage.

About the American Lung Association in Iowa: Our mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is "Fighting for Air" through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.LungIA.org.
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


###

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.

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