Davenport, Iowa, November 30, 2012 - Vander Veer Botanical Park Conservatory's annual Holiday Floral Show will open tomorrow, Saturday, December 1. The traditional display will feature thousands of poinsettias and many lighted evergreens in the historic and popular conservatory. Show dates are December 1st through January 12th. The conservatory is open Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 4pm, Saturday: 10am - 8pm, and Sunday: 10am - 4pm, closed on Mondays. Admission is only $1 and is free for kids 16 and under. Other sponsors for the show are Friends of Vander Veer, Green Thumbers, and Menards.

The Holiday Floral Show has been a tradition in the Quad Cities for generations. Many parents that will take their children to the Conservatory this holiday season have photos of themselves as children at earlier shows. The festive display is a traditional way for others to kick off the holiday season.

Since its establishment in 1885, gardens and floral displays have been a tradition at this beautiful 33 acre park, inviting visitors to stroll from the Conservatory to the Stone Fountain. The park grounds are home to an extensive collection of gardens and trees, including many planted during the early 1890's New at the park this year is the Enabling Garden. The Enabling Garden is an accessible garden and features plantings that stimulate all the senses, and includes planting beds and containers raised for comfortable reach. This accessible garden can be used by persons of any age or ability and includes garden elements that appeal to all five senses. The gardens are designed to improve and maintain the physical mental and social health of everyone.

Vander Veer Botanical Park is located at 215 W Central Park in Davenport.
For over 72 years, Ross' Restaurant has been a local tradition and landmark in Bettendorf, Iowa.  It has stood the test of time, and has been in the national spotlight more than once with visits from politicians, actors, and athletes.  Now, Ross' is gaining recognition once again, for a healthy change to their popular "diner" menu.??

Best known for their Magic Mountains and plate sized cinnamon rolls, Ross' Restaurant has been making some changes over the past 3 years.  In an effort to serve healthier food, and to support local Iowa farmers, Ross' has been going local!  With local produce, breads, organic eggs, and ground beef already on their menu, now Ross' is adding local sausage and bacon.??

"We've partnered with a 7th generation family sausage company to bring in their all natural, certified gluten free sausage which only contains three ingredients: salt, spices, and pork." Says Melissa Freidhof-Rodgers, manager of Ross' Restaurant and granddaughter of Harold Ross, the original restaurant owner.  "Our customers are like family to us, and it give us great joy to be able to offer them healthier choices while also supporting our hard working local Iowa farmers and local economy."??

"Many of our customer's are noticing the difference in taste and love the idea of local supporting local.  When they find out the food they are eating today is healthier than it used to be, we tell them to consider it our gift to them!" Says Ms. Freidhof-Rodgers.  Customers all seem to agree that the change is good and the food tastes better than ever.??

Other changes Ross' restaurant has made to their menu include chicken and milk that are hormone and antibiotic free, free-range bison burgers, and hand made burgers from ground beef that is delivered fresh from a local packer six days a week.  Enjoy bacon or sausage with your breakfast?  Now Ross' has a third choice:  soy based Morningstar Patties and even all natural turkey sausage.??

To celebrate their healthier menu, and to support the local farmers with whom they have partnered, Ross' is hosting an open house and sausage tasting on December 1st.  Free samples will be available from 9 a.m. To 11 a.m. and customers will be invited to stop in and taste for themselves  the new versions of some old favorites on the menu.

For more information, contact Melissa Freidhof-Rodgers at Ross' Restaurant, 430 14th Street, Bettendorf, Iowa. 563-676-6270rossrestaurant@hotmail.com

-END-

Washington - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators representing states along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers is elevating a request for the Army Corps of Engineers to manage water levels on the Missouri River to avoid a catastrophic economic problem on the Mississippi River.

 

"Drought conditions mean very low water levels on both rivers, and there needs to be a coordinated effort to make sure navigation isn't brought to a halt all together on the Mississippi River," Grassley said.  "Such a major interruption in commercial activity would ultimately impact jobs in Iowa and throughout the region, and steps can be taken and need to be taken to prevent it."

 

To avoid a potentially months-long loss of navigation on the Mississippi, senators today urged President Barack Obama to issue an emergency directive to permit additional water flows from Missouri River reservoirs to maintain navigation on the Mississippi.  They also asked for Federal Acquisition Rules to be waived to allow the Corps to expedite blasting of the rock pinnacles near Grant Tower and Thebes, Illinois.

 

In a letter to the President, the senators said, "Absent emergency action to ensure that water levels do not fall below the level needed to support the navigation channel, commercial navigation on the middle Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO, and Cairo, IL, will be severely impaired as early as mid-December."

 

Today's request for presidential action follows a request made by senators earlier this month of the Corps.  Senators also have asked the Corps to provide information to justify its resistance to taking action.  Governors from impacted states, representatives of industry and other stakeholders have sought action from the Corps, as well.

 

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) signed the letter to the President along with Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Al Franken (D-MN), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), David Vitter (R-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

 

Here is the text of the letter.

 

November 28, 2012

 

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

 

Dear President Obama:

 

We understand that the governors of impacted states, representatives of industry, and others have written seeking action by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent an economic calamity in the center of our nation.  We write in strong support of their request.  Absent emergency action to ensure that water levels do not fall below the level needed to support the navigation channel, commercial navigation on the middle Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO, and Cairo, IL, will be severely impaired as early as mid-December.  Substantial curtailment of navigation will effectively sever the country's inland waterway superhighway, imperil the shipment of critical cargo for domestic consumption and for export, threaten manufacturing industries and power generation, and risk thousands of related jobs in the Midwest.

 

Given the magnitude of the economic impact that would result from a potentially months-long loss of navigation on the Mississippi, we support an emergency directive to permit additional water flows from Missouri River reservoirs to maintain navigation on the Mississippi, and to waive Federal Acquisition Rules (FAR) to allow the Corps of Engineers to expedite blasting of the rock pinnacles near Grand Tower and Thebes, Illinois.  These pinnacles pose a hazard to barge navigation during periods of low water levels and their removal will allow commercial navigation on the Mississippi to continue.  Once the rocks are removed, additional water flows from the Missouri River would be unnecessary or significantly reduced.  Waiving FAR guidelines could allow the Corps to sole source for the work, eliminating the 30-day requirement for bids and allowing the work to proceed in an expedited manner.

 

The Mississippi River is an artery of commerce critical to the movement of hundreds of millions of tons of essential goods and commodities such as corn, grain, coal, petroleum, chemicals, and many other products important to the national economy.  All told, cargo valued at over $7 billion, including 300 million bushels of agricultural products and 3.8 million tons of coal, could experience shipping delays that cause ripple effects and damage local economies up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  In addition, if shipping on the river is impeded, about five million barrels of domestically produced crude oil will not be shipped and purchases of imported crude oil will increase by about $550 million as a result.

 

Given the potentially large negative impact of this looming disaster, we hope that you will give due consideration to our request.

 

Sincerely,


Offers 4 Tips for Transformation

There are many complicated opinions from experts about why America's children are becoming fatter, more diseased and emotionally unstable each year.

At the same time, bullying, teen suicides and child obesity continue to rise, and proposed solutions to these problems tend to be expensive and unlikely to be undertaken in these tough economic times, says Gordon Filepas, author of "Lean And Healthy To 100," (www.adviceformychildren.com), a guide for achieving optimal health based on studying cultures where long lives are the norm.

"Even if implemented, most of these 'solutions' are not likely to solve the problem," he says. "That's because most Americans were never taught the simple, common-sense root of most obesity and disease. There's no mystery or magic to it at all."

Filepas talks about easy, inexpensive and natural steps to solving child obesity in five years or less:

• Parental accountability: Your job as a parent is to teach your children what they need to learn to become productive, balanced and healthy adults. Buying snack foods, sodas and junk food for your children is not being responsible. Plus, you're rewarding companies that make these products. You're probably listening to the "popular" health advice in America, which is mostly incorrect. You need to learn the correct common sense information once and for all so that it becomes easy for your child to stop craving these "foods."

• School accountability: If your school sells and profits from any type of junk food in vending machines, it should be ashamed of itself. I know school budgets are strained, but making money from junk food is wrong on so many levels. If a school really needs to carry these foods to make money, then we should mandate that manufacturers create a "school version" that contains all the nutrients the human body needs and are made from only whole, natural food sources and nothing man-made. If implemented, students would shine in so many ways.

• Teach parents and children the root cause: From 20 years of health research, I've learned from experts that the root cause of obesity and disease is due to imbalances in the human body. The underlying, real root cause of these imbalances is a lifestyle that does not honor how the human body actually works, or respects what it really needs. The proper lifestyle is composed of the proper nutrition and daily living habits that maintain and preserve this nutrient foundation, and balances biological function. Without this lifestyle, biochemical imbalances occur inside the body at every level and begin to create the "symptoms" we call weight gain, addictions, cravings, emotional and behavioral imbalances, mood swings, learning problems, poor attitude, poor choices, disease and ultimately death.

• Focus on the inside first: The fatal flaw America is making in terms of its health and obesity is that it is trying to solve health and weight problems using outside-in solutions like calorie counting, calorie restriction, willpower, dieting, etc. This is ineffective because it does not create natural internal balance. These are "unnatural" man-made solutions that do not respect what the human body needs or how it works. The secret is to balance the inside first. Then everything on the outside will naturally balance itself automatically.

About Gordon Filepas

Health author and father Gordon Filepas spent thousands of hours over a 20-year period researching the research of the world's top health, anti-aging and longevity experts and long-lived cultures after his father and brother both died of cancer. He boiled down more than 80 years of their research into the seven daily steps that ultimately matter. He has recently partnered with the national charity Beating the Odds Foundation to teach the information in his book, "Lean And Healthy To 100," in schools to end child obesity. Gordon donates approximately $9 from every book sale to Beating the Odds Foundation when the book is purchased from this link: www.endchildobesity.us. Individuals or organizations interested in helping to end child obesity in America can contact Gordon through www.endchildobesity.us.

(DES MOINES) - Cass County marks the 99th county visited this year for both Gov. Terry Branstad, who visited Plastic Professionals in Atlantic today, and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who wraps up her tour with a STEM Community Conversation at the Rock Island Depot in Atlantic on Tuesday, December 11 at 11 a.m.

"Each year, I am committed to visiting every Iowa county because I want to hear directly from Iowans," said Gov. Branstad. "When I put together my legislative proposals for the upcoming legislative session, I rely upon these visits to truly understand what Iowans wish to see in moving this state forward. I am grateful for each and every Iowan who turned out for our events, and I look forward to starting all over again this January."

Lt. Gov. Reynolds' travels this year included a number of town halls with Gov. Branstad, dozens of solo STEM appearances and joint STEM presentations with University of Northern Iowa President Ben Allen, and visits to dozens of Iowa small businesses throughout the state.

"It is important for elected officials to be held accountable by those who elect them, and there is no better way than meeting with Iowans in every corner of the state," said Reynolds. "Our efforts to strengthen the middle class through sound budgeting principles, while focusing on the ideas that will improve our educational system and business climate, are shaped in large part by what we're hearing while on the road."

Branstad and Reynolds have each committed to all of Iowa's 99 counties every year.

 

# # #

Energy Department Announces Team to Receive up to $120 Million Over 5 Years

CHICAGO - November 30, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn was joined today by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce that a multi-partner team led by Argonne National Laboratory has been selected for an award of up to $120 million over five years to establish a new Batteries and Energy Storage Hub. The Hub, to be known as the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), will combine the R&D firepower of five DOE national laboratories, five universities, and four private firms in an effort aimed at achieving revolutionary advances in battery performance. Advancing next generation battery and energy storage technologies for electric and hybrid cars and the electricity grid are a critical part of President Obama's all-of-the-above energy strategy to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and lower energy costs for U.S. consumers.

Governor Quinn is providing $5 million through his Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction plan to help build the state-of-the-art JCESR facility, which will be located on the Argonne National Laboratory campus in suburban Chicago. Additionally, the governor has committed to working with the General Assembly to provide an additional $30 million in future capital funding for the building, which will serve as a nationwide center for energy storage research and is a key part of the governor's plan to create jobs and grow Illinois' economy through cutting-edge innovation.

"Illinois is the birthplace of innovations that have changed the world, including the web browser, the cell phone and the ultrasound," Governor Quinn said. "As I highlighted during my State of the State address, this innovative center will attract the best minds from across our state and country to turn cutting-edge scientific research into new companies that will create more American jobs and revolutionize our energy economy."

"This is a partnership between world leading scientists and world leading companies, committed to ensuring that the advanced battery technologies the world needs will be invented and built right here in America," said Secretary Chu.  "Based on the tremendous advances that have been made in the past few years, there are very good reasons to believe that advanced battery technologies can and will play an increasingly valuable role in strengthening America's energy and economic security by reducing our oil dependence, upgrading our aging power grid, and allowing us to take greater advantage of intermittent energy sources like wind and solar."

"This new Hub brings together, under a single organizational roof, the world's leading scientists, engineers and manufacturers in energy storage and provides them with the tools, resources and market reach necessary to produce major breakthroughs," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.  "The large-scale, innovative research and transformational new battery systems that will result from this venture will mean more effective, lower cost and longer life energy storage technologies with real world applications for anything that can use a rechargeable battery.  The project promises to have a significant economic impact across Illinois with the help of towns and businesses who have already agreed to partner on the commercialization of promising technology developed at the Hub."

"The research at the Energy Storage Hub has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry," said U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. "From transportation to the electric grid, the Hub will bring the private sector, national labs and universities together to deliver new technologies and scientific approaches needed to transform the battery and energy storage industry and spur commercial innovation.  The Hub at Argonne will help boost our local economy and create new jobs. Today's announcement further establishes Illinois and Argonne as a leader in this growing industry."

"Argonne has a long tradition of exceptional leadership on energy research, and the DOE's selection of Argonne for this exciting project will cement its role as the nation's leading facility for advanced battery technology," said Representative Judy Biggert (IL-13). "Most importantly, this project will give scientists and researchers the best environment in which to develop the next generation of energy storage to power our homes, cars, and industries in the decades to come. I applaud the team at Argonne on winning the project, and I thank my colleagues from across the Midwest who worked with us to make it happen."

"This award sets up Argonne National Laboratory to be the world leader in an emerging field that will promote American energy independence, make green energy more available and affordable, and grow manufacturing in the region," said Representative Dan Lipinski (IL-03). "I believe this new facility will bring a significant return on the investment for our nation and especially for the communities around Argonne."

"Since taking office, I have been focused on making Chicago the electric vehicle and batteries capital of the nation," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "This includes creating incentives to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, attracting companies to manufacture electric vehicles, and now, working with Argonne to make sure that Chicago is at the epicenter of research on this subject. All of these pieces fit together into a comprehensive strategy that will allow Chicago to lead in this industry, from conception to construction to implementation. I will continue to work to attract more companies, create more jobs and foster more economic development in this crucial space."

The new Hub will integrate efforts at several successful independent research programs into a larger, coordinated effort designed to push the limits on battery advances.  Advancements in batteries and energy storage technology are essential for continued efforts to develop a fundamentally new energy economy with decisively reduced dependence on imported oil.  Improved storage will be vital to fully integrating intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar into the electrical grid.  It will also be critical to transitioning the transportation sector to more flexible grid power.

JCESR (pronounced "J-Caesar") will be directed by George W. Crabtree, Argonne Senior Scientist, Distinguished Fellow and Associate Division Director; Distinguished Professor of Physics, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago; and an internationally recognized leader in energy research.

"The JCESR batteries and energy storage hub gives us a new collaborative, inter-institutional R&D paradigm in which to develop the energy storage technologies that transform both the electricity grid and transportation and so reduce our dependence on foreign oil,' said Eric Isaacs, Director of Argonne National Laboratory.

The Hub will bring together some of the most advanced energy storage research programs in the U.S. today.  Other national labs partnering with Argonne include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.  University partners include Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and University of Michigan. Four industrial partners have also joined to help clear a path to the marketplace for the advances developed at JCESR, including Dow Chemical Company; Applied Materials, Inc.; Johnson Controls, Inc.; and Clean Energy Trust.

"This ambitious initiative, which builds on Argonne National Laboratory's innovative work in advanced battery technology, will create new opportunities for technological research and economic development in the city of Chicago and the region," said Robert J. Zimmer, University of Chicago President. "It will rely on a public-private partnership to speed the development of environmentally sound energy storage capabilities, with potentially profound economic benefits. We are grateful to all of the public officials who helped make this possible, especially Senator Richard Durbin, Governor Pat Quinn, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose support and commitment to economic development through innovation have been vital."

"With exceptional talent and research strengths, Illinois is paving the way for next generation energy solutions, and this USDOE award will advance and accelerate the state's transformative efforts around energy storage and grid enhancements," said Mark Harris, President and CEO of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, which worked with Argonne to develop the proposal. "This award represents tremendous collaboration between research and academic institutions, industry and government, and we look forward to advancing technology commercialization and economic development opportunities across the state and region."

Selected through an open national competition with a rigorous merit review process that relied on outside expert reviewers, JCESR is the fourth Energy Innovation Hub established by the Energy Department since 2010.  Other Hubs are devoted to modeling and simulation of nuclear reactors, achieving major improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings, and developing fuels from sunlight. A fifth Hub focused on critical materials research was announced earlier this year and is still in the application process.

Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers with researchers from many different institutions and technical backgrounds that combine basic and applied research with engineering to accelerate scientific discovery in critical energy areas. They are modeled after the strong scientific management characteristics of the Manhattan Project, Lincoln Lab at MIT that developed radar, AT&T Bell Laboratories that developed the transistor and, more recently, the highly successful Bioenergy Research Centers established during the Bush Administration to pioneer advanced techniques in biotechnology, including biofuels.

Over the decades, DOE national laboratories and DOE-funded university research programs have been responsible for some of the most important advances in battery technology. For example, key battery improvements developed at Argonne helped make the Chevy Volt battery possible.

###

JAYDEN'S CAUSE

Give the gifts of health and hope to a little boy and his family this holiday season:
Purchase jewelry, donate cash or gift cards, or attend the benefit dinner

Bettendorf-- Jayden, a 2-year-old boy, who lives in Bettendorf, has been suffering for nearly seven

months, and needs your help this holiday season. At the end of May this year, Jayden contracted strep throat and hand, foot, and mouth disease after going to a backup daycare. He went on antibiotics for the strep, which caused him to be stricken with a bacterial infection called C-Difficile (C-diff).

This once energetic, happy, and healthy boy is now lethargic, anemic, and struggling to stay well because the infection has weakened his immune system. Any exposure to the outside world can make him sick. His condition is now so bad that he can no longer attend daycare, which has forced his mom to stay home from work to care for him. Unfortunately, before any further  diagnosis can be made in regards to his fragile immune system, the C-diff must be cleared up.

After four unsuccessful rounds of antibiotics for the C-diff, he is undergoing a very new, rare, and risky procedure as a last resort. Jayden must frequently endure trips to the Iowa City Children's Hospital. With medical and travel expenses adding up, the family's stress is compounded by the fact that their living expenses continue without the second income from Jayden's mom. And if things couldn't get worse, Jayden's primary caregiver, his mom, contracted the incredibly contagious C-diff as a result of having to go on antibiotics last month. C-diff is on the rise in our community and can affect anyone, but it especially preys on those who have taken antibiotics.

This little boy and his family need your help. They will be celebrating Christmas this year not by exchanging gifts, but rather by being thankful and counting their blessings for any small improvements to his ailing health.

Please support "Jayden's Cause" to help make their holiday complete by allowing Jayden to continue to stay home with his mother so that they don't lose everything in the long process of bringing him back to a normal, healthy life.

Your contributions will help grant him the time to heal and will provide Jayden and his family with hope that this will all soon be resolved. He still has a long road of recovery ahead that requires strict isolation, more testing, diagnosis, and treatment for his current condition and other underlying ailments undiagnosed at this time, but there are several ways you can help! You can purchase lia sophia jewelry on December 9; make cash donations; donate gift cards for groceries and gas; and/or attend his special dinner on December 14!

Two Special Events:
Sunday, December 9th at 2 pm
lia sophia Jewelry party at Habaneros; 5185 18th Street, Bettendorf, IA.

20-40% of jewelry sales will be donated to Jayden's Cause
Christmas shop while helping Jayden's Cause and save; buy 2 full price items; add up to 4 more at 50% off (discount on most expensive selections!)
December ONLY: $20 for any $100 piece with each $100 order.
Help increase the total donation to Jayden's Cause by scheduling your own party;
o 5% from each party scheduled will be donated

Friday, December 14th at 6 pm
Special Benefit Dinner at the Golden Leaf; 2902 East Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA.
• $10 includes a full meal, buffet style dinner
• Auction Items, Bake Sale, Cash Bar, Live Entertainment, and Prizes
• Santa Claus will be spreading his merry cheer and available for pictures

Tax-deductible donations can be made to any Wells Fargo under the account name Jayden's Cause. Thank you for giving Jayden and his family the gifts of health and hope this holiday season.

For more information about Jayden's Cause, making donations, the events, or volunteering please contact Elisha Shadden at Jaydens.cause@gmail.com.

###

Chili and Celli

 

Start your weekend with a warm bowl of chili and a room full of celli. Tonight, November 30 at 5:00 p.m., cellists from around the Quad Cities will be gathering at the RME, along with guest principal cellist Nathaniel Yaffe of the Minnesota Orchestra, Conductor Mark Russell Smith, and other members of the QCSO cello section for a chili dinner and cello performance.

 

Chili will be available at 5:00 p.m., with the music beginning at 5:30. This event is free to the public and everyone is invited. Cellists, bring your instrument and a music stand.

 

The chili will be provided by Volunteers for Symphony and drinks will be for sale at the RME Café. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Rebecca Swartz, Education and Youth Ensemble Coordinator, at 563.322.0931.

Encourages Children of Illinois to Support Our Veterans and Servicemembers at Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

CHICAGO - November 30, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by local schoolchildren to light the state of Illinois' annual Christmas tree and launch the Illinois Heroes holiday card drive. Joined by Gold Star families, Governor Quinn encouraged families throughout Illinois to honor our heroes by making holiday cards for servicemembers at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany and in military hospitals across Illinois. Governor Quinn will personally deliver the cards during a visit to troops at LRMC later this year.

"This holiday season, we want to make sure our servicemembers who serve our country away from home receive a warm reminder of how much we love and support them," Governor Quinn said. "While great distances may separate us, they will always be in our hearts and prayers. We can never thank them enough for their sacrifices."

This year will mark the eighth time that Governor Quinn has visited Illinois troops and their families at LRMC. The center is the largest American hospital outside of the United States. For more information on how to participate in the Illinois Heroes holiday card drive, please visit OperationHomefront.org.

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Director Erica Borggren and servicemembers from across the state also joined the governor at the tree lighting ceremony.

"Time away from loved ones is just one of the many sacrifices our servicemembers make to protect us," Director Borggren said. "While we want to do everything we can to support them every day, we know it means so much for a servicemember to receive a holiday card and know how much they are appreciated. As we gather with our loved ones to celebrate the holiday season, we encourage the people of Illinois to keep our servicemembers in their thoughts and prayers."

Also in attendance were members of the Gold Star Families, who hung ornaments in memory of their sons and daughters on the tree. The choir from LaSalle II Magnet School performed during the tree lighting ceremony and presented cards to Landstuhl.

 ###


WELCOMING NEW MEMBER!
Red Door TV - 427 N. 3rd, Le Claire, IA   52753. Frank Otero, frank@reddoor.tv website: http://www.reddoor.tv/
Red Door TV is and award winning digital agency and production company. Specializing in entertainment and media marketing.  Making media that works. Demanding consumer attention by disrupting their existing perceptions of marketing and media.  Digital, to us, isn't a technical term that designates media or medium.  It's the defining term for the era of engagement marketing.  We create innovative and mischievous communication strategies designed for this era.  We make content and marketing work together and jump between traditional and non-traditional solutions.  We are directors, designers, writers, new media strategists, musicians, animators, producers, illustrators, and developers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - Friday 11/30/2012
CALENDAR
Through November 30th - LeClaire Community Library Silent Auction benefiting the Library (3rd and Wisconsin ) Stop by and place a bid on many great items! All proceeds support the library. http://www.leclairelibrary.org/
Now through December 22 - The Sweet Life Will be Open on Fridays & Saturdays from 11-4 until Christmas offering all kinds of treats such as cupcakes, cake pops, brownies and cookies as well as sweet gifts for the holidays!
Now through January 6th - Enright's LeClaire Super Car Wash - "Holiday Token Sale "7 tokens for $20 - each token has a value of $6.00. Tokens Make Great Gifts! Stock up for Winter!
December 7th - Blackhawk Bank & Trust - Please join us from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. as we celebrate the remodel of our LeClaire branch at 323 South 2nd Street . Our festivities will feature a smorgasbord of appetizers from local restaurants, give-aways & door prizes and a formal ribbon cutting to be held at 4:30 pm. All are welcome to join our celebration!
December 7th and 8th - First Friday and First Saturday in LeClaire - The Mississippi River Distilling Company will be celebrating First Friday AND First Saturday featuring their Spirited Chef Stephanie's great food items, free signature cocktails, and for the first 100+ bottles sold on Friday, receive a festive Holiday pint glass!  For First Friday, Wide River Winery will have Appetizers and Samples of their Holiday Wine, "Merry Berry"! Other restaurants and shops open both nights!
December 7th-8th-9th - CHRISTMAS IN LECLAIRE - 2012!
All Weekend - Local Stores Open with Great Shopping Opportunities!
*Primitive Cottage - All during Christmas in LeClaire weekend, we will have a box for collection of non-perishable food items to be donated to the Food Pantry at Princeton Presbyterian Church for those who would like to give!
*Razzleberries - Free sequin flower ring with any $25 purchase!
Friday, 10:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.
*LeClaire Civic Center - Free Carriage and Wagon Rides, Cookie Tin Sales, Live Nativity, Bazaar, Baked Goods, Crafts and Silent Auction
*Reusable Usables - Repurposed Craft Fair
*4-8 p.m. - Calvary Chapel 4-Square - Free Ornament Decorating
Saturday, 10:00 A. M. - 8:00 P.M.
*8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast with Santa - Happy Joe's
*10a.m.-noon- Expressions in Thread - Make Sock Snowmen - $3 lessons
*Noon-2 p.m. - Posh Home - String Duet
*Noon - 3 p.m. Santa's Playhouse - Schwenke Building
*Noon - 4 p.m. Wide River Winery's WINTER WONDERLAND
*LeClaire Civic Center - Free Carriage and Wagon Rides, Cookie Tin Sales, Bake Sale , Crafts and Silent Auction
*Strolling Santas
*Grasshoppers - Castle Ridge Wine Tasting Sat. afternoon - Christmas Music
*Reusable Usables - Repurposed Craft Fair
*Aunt Hattie's Fanciful Emporium - Live Music, Holiday Treats
* Calvary Chapel 4-Square - Free Ornament Decorating
Sunday, 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
* LeClaire Civic Center - Free Carriage and Wagon Rides, Craft and Silent Auction (Bidding closes at 2p.m.)
*Strolling Santas
*Noon-2 p.m. - Posh Home - String Duet
*Reusable Usables - Repurposed Craft Fair
*Noon - 4 p.m. Wide River Winery's WINTER WONDERLAND
December 8th Fundraiser - Star Gifts for Kids Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. LeClaire Fire Station, 201 N. 15th St. To book your teams, contact Barry Long via email at: Bal400@aol.com or call 563-949-6969.

December 8th - "Stampin' Up" Class - LeClaire Library-10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the community room. There is a 10 person limit to the class and patrons must sign up at circulation desk. Persons signing up for class also must bring double sided sticky tape and a pair of scissors with them on day of event.
December 13th - Vegan & Vegetarian Night at the Crane & Pelican Cafe www.craneandpelican.com
December 15th: Holiday Party with Games and MusicThe LeClaire RecCenter, 429 N. 3rd Street (Corner of 3rd Street and Ferry) 5:30-8:00 P.M.
$2.00 per person. 3 years old and under free. Games and crafts will last until 6:15, then there will be an open gym. Chili and veggie soup, $1.50 per bowl. Other concessions also available.
December 18th - Who says you can't have a free lunch? The First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire offers free lunch to anyone in LeClaire once a month. Anyone, any age, regardless of need is invited. 11:30-12:30 at the LeClaire Civic Center
December 18th - Crane & Pelican Café - Dinner Featuring the Music of "Quartrio" Beginning at 5:00 p.m. Quartrio is a String Quartet and will perform background music throughout dinner plus a formal concert after the 4 course meal. Details and reservations: www.craneandpelican.com
SAVE THE DATE
January 26th - Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner - Steventon's
FYI
The LeClaire Office of Tourism Board is accepting resumes' for the Office of Tourism Manager's position until December 14, 2012. The position is a contracted position. Responsibilities include but are not limited to training and staffing at the LeClaire Information Center , communicating tourism information, promoting LeClaire tourism and sales of advertising opportunities. Applicants should have good public relations skills, as well as organizational and media skills. Tourism background is helpful but not required. The contract is available for viewing on the City of LeClaire website at www.leclaireiowa.gov. For more information or to submit a resume' please contact Ryan Burchett, Chairman-LeClaire Office of Tourism Board of Directors at (563) 271-0608.
Reusable Usables - Planet Green After School Program
Option #1 TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS 4:00-5:30 PM $36 per student
Option #2: TUESDAYS OR THURSDAYS 4:00-5:30 PM $25 per student
Option #3:  Planet Green Kits to GO! You can now purchase Planet Green Kits for $5.
Must preregister and prepay by 11/30 for December classes.   angie@reusableusables.org or 563-289-3946
The River Cities' Reader Annual Best of the QC Survey Vote online at http://www.rcreader.com/best-of-qc/survey.php?sid=72 now to February 1, 2013. There are fifty questions, but you only have to answer 15 or more to make your ballot count.  Results will be published in the Spring of 2013. Pass this link along and vote for your favorite area eating and drinking establishments!
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:
January 12th - LeClaire Community Library
February 9th Coe Noack Memorial Scholarship
April 6th - LeClaire Little League
April 27th - Civic Club
May 18th - American Legion
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 (clip and save)
Spring 2013 - Spring Fling Easter Egg Hunt ( Hollyhock Park )
Spring 2013 - Cinco de Mayo
Spring 2013 - LeClaire Plant Exchange (downtown)
Spring 2013 - Spring/French Market Days
Summer 2013 - City-Wide Water Explosion ( Hollyhock Park )
Summer 2013 - Bike Parade & Decorating
Summer 2013 - Tug Fest
www.LeClaireChamber.com and visit the Chamber on FaceBook!

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