The Rock Island Public Library and Augustana College are partnering to offer a four-week lecture series on the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Dickens.

The annual fall Frieze Lecture Series brings Augustana College professors into the Rock Island Main Library for thought-provoking college lectures with no grades or tests. This year's theme is "What the Dickens?" with each lecture featuring a topic related to one of the best-known writers in the English language..

The lecture series is offered in the Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street, at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, October 23, 30, November 6 and 13. Coffee and conversation follow the lectures. Dates, presenters and topics include :

Tuesday, October 23: Dr. Karin Youngberg, Augustana College English department, will provide an overview of the life and work of Charles Dickens. Dr. Youngberg, who holds Augustana's Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities, will set the table for the Series' consideration of Dickens' place in literature and history.

Tuesday, October 30: Dr. David Ellis, Augustana College history department, will speak on the world Dickens inhabited, considering the key themes and issues in British, European and global history at the time Dickens was active.

Tuesday, November 6: Dr. Catherine Goebel, Augustana College art history department, will offer a slide lecture on artists important to Dickens. Dr. Goebel, who holds Augustana's Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts, will discuss both those artists who were favorites of Dickens and those who found inspiration in his literary works.

Tuesday, November 13: Dr. Umme al-Wazedi, Augustana College English department, will provide a post-colonial view of the staunchly pro-colonial Dickens, and consider how his place in literature has changed in a world vastly different from the one in which he lived.

Presentations are free and open to the public. For more details about events at the Rock Island Library, call 309.732-7303 or check the online calendar at www.rockislandlibrary.org

Twelve Mothers of Fallen Servicemembers Presented with Gold Star Banners

CHICAGO - September 30, 2012. Today Gold Star Banners were presented to 12 Illinois mothers whose sons and daughters died in combat while serving their country in the Global War on Terror. More than 170 members of Illinois' Gold Star families who lost family members on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001 attended the ceremony at Chicago's Cultural Center.

The ceremony, which was co-sponsored by the USO of Illinois, marked Gold Star Mother's Day. The day has been commemorated on the last Sunday in September since President Franklin Roosevelt declared the first Gold Star Mother's Day in 1936. On Aug. 16, 2009, Governor Quinn signed legislation to formally designate Gold Star Mothers Day in Illinois. A list of the 2012 Illinois Gold Star recipients is attached.

"While we gather every September to honor Gold Star mothers, our work to honor the sacrifices of our service men and women never stops," Governor Quinn said. "Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation and their families will never be forgotten."

Presenting Gold Stars to mothers is an American tradition dating back to 1918, at the end of World War I. At that time, President Woodrow Wilson suggested that instead of wearing conventional mourning black from head to toe, families of men and women who had died in service to their country should wear a black armband with a gold star to signify their loss and their pride. Bereaved families also displayed Gold Star banners - gold stars on a white background with a wide red border - in the windows of their homes.

Verizon Wireless co-sponsored the Illinois 2012 Gold Star ceremony for the sixth straight year along with the American Legion and the VFW.  Starwood Hotels and American Airlines provided the travel and accommodations for the out of town guests.

Erica Borggren, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs was joined by Wayne Wagner, State Commander, American Legion; Bill Wolff, Past State Commander, VFW, Alison Ruble, President and COO of the USO Illinois, John Bartosiewicz, President, Illinois Freedom Run and Linda Kozma, Chairwoman, American Airline Veteran Military Employee Resource Group.

2012 Gold Star Recipients

CLIMB Theatre is bringing its acclaimed programming to Hopewell and Cody Elementary Schools on Thursday, October 11^th and Pleasant view and Riverdale Heights Elementary Schools on Friday, October 12^th.  Professional actors will be in residence performing CLIMB's original plays: Bugs and The Bystander.

"Our programs reached nearly 450,000 students in past years," reports Peg Wetli, founder of CLIMB.  "I believe the quality of our programming is the best it's ever been."

Given the serious consequences that arise when a 'school bullying' situation exists, more schools are seeking outside programming to teach appropriate techniques to students regarding how to deal with bullying and harassment in and outside the classroom. Each year, CLIMB brings our plays and classes to over 400 schools throughout MN, IA, ND, SD and WI.   Students learn that kids who bully can be any size, come from any background, and girls can bully, too.

"We want students to understand ways to NOT give their power over to kids who bully," says Buffy Sedlachek, Producer at CLIMB. "Through theatre, students learn how to effectively take a stand against bullying and they also learn that bystanders can have a big impact on creating bully-free schools."

CLIMB is Creative Learning Ideas for Mind and Body

For over 35 years, CLIMB Theatre has brought quality character education programming into schools and other educational settings. Its mission is to create and perform plays, classes, and other works that inspire and propel young people toward actions that benefit themselves, each other, and the community.  CLIMB's programming is available in a variety of formats, including plays, interactive classroom activities, and professional development workshops for students and administrators.

For more information about CLIMB, visit http://. CLIMB is funded in part by a grant provided the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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It turns out dogs are not only good for our health; finding missing people; and helping disabled people live independent lives - they're good for kids' report cards, too!

Canines have been found to improve the immune system and reduce blood pressure, among other health benefits. They help rescuers and law officers, blind people and those with limited use of their hands and arms. Now we have another reason to celebrate man's best friend.

"Dogs not only help children learn to read, they help children learn to love reading," says Michael Amiri, coauthor with his wife, Linda, of the children's book, Shellie, the Magical dog (www.shelliethemagicaldog.com). "And that's true of for children with and without learning disabilities."

A Minnesota pilot project called PAWSitive Readers finds that trained therapy dogs helped 10 of 14 grade-school participants improve their reading skills by one grade level. Additionally, a University of California study showed that children who read to the family dog improved their ability by an average of 12 percent.

Amiri discusses five reasons why dogs help kids learn to love reading:

• No embarrassment: "Most of us have memories of reading out loud in class," he says. "Though we may have been proficient readers, the fear of stumbling on a word in front of everyone was a constant source of anxiety." Dogs are excellent for unconditional, nonjudgmental love; they won't laugh if and when mistakes happen.

• Confidence boosters: "I never had a dog while growing up, which is too bad because I think I would have had an easier time gaining self-confidence," says Amiri. As an adult, he discovered the many benefits of dogs through he and his wife's very special Maltese, Shellie. She's often the center of attention in their community at pet-friendly restaurants, where she laps her water out of a martini glass. And she has a full-time job as the greeter at Linda's hair and nail salon. "If a little dog can give me, a grown man, more confidence, imagine what it can do for kids," he says.

• Polite listeners: Like humans, dogs are social creatures and most enjoy the sound of a calm voice speaking to them. Many - except perhaps the most energetic breeds - seem to enjoy curling up on a rug and listening to a story being read aloud. They don't interrupt (except for the occasional ear scratch or to sniff a body part) and they often show appreciation for the attention.

• A fun approach to schoolwork: Too often, when children think of studying, they think of time spent hunched over a desk struggling alone to work out problems and memorize lists. Interacting with a lovable, fuzzy friend for an hour of homework is an appealing alternative.

• Win-win: A canine-student reading program is a great way to help service dogs-in-training learn patience and discipline. Dogs are trained to help veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, the blind, and people who use wheelchairs, among others. These dogs in training help children, while children improve a dog's service abilities.

About Michael and Linda Amiri

Michael Amiri grew up in New York City and became an actor in local theater productions and television commercials. Linda Amiri is an entrepreneur, the owner of a successful hair and nail salon. Their personality-plus Maltese, Shellie, is a popular community character, who puts in a full day of work every day as a greeter at her "mom's" salon. She's the inspiration for the first in a series of children's books that will address topics and issues of concern to children.