Dear Rivermont Community,

College acceptance letters have been flying through cyberspace and snail mail for the past few weeks and our own seniors have been anxiously checking emails and mailboxes.  Last night, the long awaited Ivy acceptances were released.  You may have heard the shouts of joy or groans of disappointment reverberate across the country.  There were definitely shouts of joy from Rivermont households.

Congratulations to our seniors, Class of 2012 for their college acceptances to date!  Their hard work and dedication has been rewarded.  Kudos to our faculty for preparing our students to meet the challenges and expectations offered by colleges and universities across the country. 

American University DC

Augsburg College MN

Augustana College IL

Baylor University TX

Benedictine University IL

Boston University MA

Brown University RI

California Institute of Technology CA

Case Western Reserve University OH

Columbia University NY

Cornell University NY

Dartmouth College NH

DePaul University IL

Duquesne University PA

Drew University NJ

Drexel University PA

Duke University NC

Emory University GA

Gustavus Adolphus College MN

Johns Hopkins University MD

Kent State University OH

Knox College IL

Lehigh University PA

Michigan Technological University MI

New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ

New York University NY

Northern Michigan University MI

Northwestern University IL

Pennsylvania State University PA

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY

Richard Stockton NJ

Rosemont College PA

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey-Newark NJ

St. Ambrose University IA

St. Bonaventure University NY

St. Louis University MO

Sienna College NY

Stanford University CA

Stony Brook University NY

Temple University PA

Union College NY

University of Alabama AL (EMSAP)

University of Chicago IL

University of Cincinnati OH

University of Connecticut CT

University of Illinois at Chicago IL

University of Iowa IA

University of Kansas KS

University of Maryland MD

University of Miami FL

University of Minnesota, Morris MN

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MN

University of Missouri- Kansas City MO

University of Pennsylvania PA

University of Pittsburgh PA

University of Southern Alabama AL

University of Rochester NY

University of Toledo OH

University of Virginia VA

Ursinus College PA

Vanderbilt University TN

Villanova University PA

Virginia Commonwealth University VA

Washington University in St. Louis MO

Wayne State University MI

West Chester University PA

Widener University PA

Yale University CT

Youngstown State University OH

 

This significant list of acceptances gives our seniors a wealth of opportunities to continue their path of learning and achievement.  Of our seven seniors, four are lifers, one entered in first grade, one in seventh, and one in eleventh.  The Class of 2012 has been awarded a combined total of $1,372,344.00 in renewable merit scholarships over 4 years.

 

The Rivermont Experience culminates in the Upper School and once again our students and faculty have demonstrated the benefits of focused Intellect, refined Character, and boundless Creativity!

 

Rick St. Laurent

Headmaster

Berwyn Event to Connect Families Facing Foreclosure with
Resources to Help Keep Their Homes

 

CHICAGO - March 30, 2012. As part of his commitment to affordable housing and foreclosure prevention, Governor Pat Quinn today encouraged Illinois families facing foreclosure to attend the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network's first "Keep Your Home, Illinois" workshop. Held Saturday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Berwyn, the workshop will connect struggling homeowners with in-person assistance, resources and knowledge to help them keep their homes.

 

"Helping families stay in their homes is essential in keeping our communities strong and our economic recovery moving forward," Governor Quinn said. "The Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network is a one-stop-shop that connects families facing foreclosure with the most up-to-date information and free housing counseling to help them navigate their options."

 

Announced in the Governor's State of the State address, the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN) is a multi-agency effort coordinated by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). The statewide program gathers all resources available to homeowners to ensure that families facing foreclosure can access the assistance they need in one stop. The IFPN provides access to counseling services, legal advice, mortgage payment assistance programs, foreclosure preven­tion events and tips on how to avoid mortgage fraud.

 

The Berwyn event is the first of six regional, IFPN "Keep Your Home, Illinois" foreclosure prevention workshops around the state. The IFPN's resources are also available 24-hours a day online at KeepYourHomeIllinois.org, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays at the IFPN's free hotline 1-855-KEEP-411 (1-855-533-7411).

 

Foreclosures adversely impact too many Illinois families and communities. Illinois is consistently ranked among the top 10 states with the highest number of foreclosures. In 2011, 103,003 homes in Illinois received a foreclosure filing, or one in every 51 homes - ranking the state eighth in the country, according to RealtyTrac.

 

The Chicago area has the nation's largest inventory of foreclosed homes. According to RealtyTrac's inventory records, as of December 2011, there were 96,996 properties that were bank-owned or in some stage of foreclosure in the Chicago metro area.

 

"You just don't know until it hits you what a disaster your life can become when you can't pay your bills," local homeowner Regina Bailey, who was recently approved for temporary financial assistance through the Illinois Hardest Hit Program, said. "You go through program after program, but you never know about most of them unless someone tells you. Then all of a sudden you feel okay because you have hope. That's what the Governor's Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network has done for me."

 

Working with a housing counselor doubles a homeowner's chances of getting a loan modification and, once their loan is modified, foreclosure counseling reduces their chances of re-default by 67 percent.

 

"There are many benefits to working with an IFPN housing counselor," said Mary Kenney, executive director of the IHDA. "Our counselors have access to numerous state and federal programs, and can direct homeowners toward the best program to suit their individual situations. The entire purpose of the network is to collect resources in one place, helping struggling homeowners save valuable time and resources as they work to keep their homes."

 

"We are proud to be one of the 68 counseling agencies providing services under the network," Ofelia Navarro, executive director of the Spanish Coalition for Housing, said. "Governor Quinn understands that homeowners have difficulty understanding and keeping up with which foreclosure prevention programs are available to them. Now more than ever, as the number of programs increase, homeowners need guidance to choose the best option for them."

 

Under Governor Quinn, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) partnered to establish this free, one-stop collaboration of state agencies and nonprofit organizations to help Illinois residents access resources so that they can remain in their homes.

 

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (www.ihda.org) is an independent, self-supporting bonding authority that finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing throughout Illinois. Since 1967, IHDA has allocated more than $10.6 billion to finance more than 215,000 affordable housing units for the residents of Illinois. IHDA sells bonds independently, based on its own good credit, to finance affordable housing in Illinois.

 

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The theme for this year's National Women's History Month is "Women's Education-Women's Empowerment," and the University of Iowa was among the first to recognize this connection.

 

  • In 1855, Iowa became the first public university in the country to admit women and men on an equal basis.
  • In 1873, it became the first public university in the United States to grant a law degree to a woman (Mary B. Hickey).
  • In 1907, the UI became home to the nation's first female college newspaper editor.
  • In 1912, the UI graduated the first African American women, Letta (Cary) Bledsoe and Adah (Hyde) Johnson of Des Moines, from the College of Liberal Arts (now College of Liberal Arts & Sciences).
  • In 1941, Lulu Merle Johnson became the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. from an Iowa institution and among about a dozen black women in the nation to achieve such status at that time.
  • And in 1983, C. Vivian Stringer became the first African-American to coach a Big Ten women's basketball team.

 

FYI
Learn more about National Women's History Month at the Website of the National Women's History Project at http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php.

The statistics are overwhelming and irrefutable: The less education a person has, the more likely he or she will end up in jail or prison.

Once in prison, the more education an inmate receives, the greater the chance he or she will remain free once released.

"The correlation is so dramatic, I can't understand why we as a nation are more interested in building and filling prisons than in educating people who haven't finished high school or could benefit from post-secondary school," says advocate Adam Young, citing a recent Huffington Post news story about Corrections Corporation of America. The business is attempting to buy prisons across the nation - with the stipulation that states agree to keep them 90 percent full.

Young, www.communityservicehelp.com, partners with charities to help people sentenced to community service get credit for taking classes like algebra and English instead of picking up trash. He says it just makes sense to take advantage of any opportunity to educate people who've already had a brush with the law.

"About 40 percent of all U.S. prison inmates never finished high school, and nearly 44 percent of jail inmates did not complete high school," he says, quoting from a 2003 Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. "More current data shows that hasn't changed. In Washington, D.C., for instance, 44 percent of Department of Corrections inmates are not high school graduates. Less than 2 percent had 16 years or more of schooling.

"Isn't it better for all of us, for both economic and public safety reasons, if we help educate people so they can get jobs?" he asks.

The trend of budget-strapped states looking to economize by selling their prisons to Corrections Corporation worries Young. As the business cuts expenses to boost profits, prison-run GED and college degree programs will likely be among the first on the chopping block, he says.

"If states really want to save money, they should address recidivism through programs that include education," Young says. "There's a 2011 Pew Center study that found the 10 states with the highest recidivism rates could save $470 million a year, each, if they lower those numbers by just 10 percent."

Those states are Alaska, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.

A widely cited 2006 study of two groups of inmates in three states found that those who participated in education programs in prison were less likely to be arrested again within three years of their release, and more likely to be employed. Of the inmates tracked, 31 percent of those who did not take classes were back in prison within three years compared with 21 percent of those who did study.

Arizona, South Carolina and Nevada all have recently passed laws that allow inmates to cut their sentences or shorten their probation by doing things like taking classes, Young noted.

"In early February, there was an interesting conversation about education and crime on Real Time with Bill Maher," he says. "Maher said, 'If you spent the money you were spending to send people to prison on schools, those people wouldn't wind up going to prison.'

"He's 100 percent correct on that."

About Adam Young

Adam Young is a longtime internet marketing professional who launched his educational community service alternative in January 2011. He was inspired by a minor brush with the law when he was an 18-year-old; the community service hours he received cost him his job and nearly caused him to drop out of college. Through his website, offenders have logged more than 300,000 hours of self-scheduled schooling that allows them to remain employed while completing service hours. Young advocates education as the most cost-effective tool for rehabilitating offenders.

Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort Underway to Provide Additional

Court Options for Federal Law Enforcement Officers

 

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Chris Coons of Delaware and Representatives Dave Reichert (WA-08) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-8) yesterday introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would allow federal law enforcement officers who acted under their official duties and charged with a crime in state court an opportunity to petition to have the agent's case heard before a federal court.

 

"Federal agents are extensively trained, at taxpayer expense, to protect and serve the American public and are never off-duty. To expect them to stand by while a victim suffers violent acts in their presence is contrary to the oath they take to protect others and is a waste of taxpayer funded training," Grassley said.  "This bill will help make our communities safer and help those who are sworn to guard and serve the public."

 

"Day in and day out, federal law enforcement officers put themselves in harm's way to protect Americans," Coons said. "When I was a county executive in Delaware, I worked closely with our local law enforcement professionals and witnessed firsthand how our brave officers are trained to detect and prevent dangerous situations, whether they are on-the-clock or not. The Officer Safety Act of 2012 will ensure that 'off duty' federal officers who intercede to protect the lives of others will be held to the same standards as when they are performing their official duties. This bill will help law enforcement better protect our neighbors and families. I applaud the leadership of Senator Grassley for developing this important legislation and I will continue to advocate on behalf of our brave first responders."

 

"As a former Sheriff I know far too well that law enforcement officers are never 'off duty.' Every day, they earn our trust and often step in to save lives and protect the innocent while risking their own safety?regardless of whether they are on or off the job. We owe these brave men and women this assurance so they can continue to focus on serving the American people," Reichert said.

 

"This legislation will allow federal agents to protect Americans, whether they are on or off duty. Our federal law enforcement agents are highly trained professionals who often go above and beyond what is required of them - and put themselves in harm's way in the process. They deserve our gratitude," said Pascrell. "I am proud to help advance this bipartisan legislation on behalf of dedicated federal agents throughout the country who work to keep us safe."

 

The Officer Safety Act of 2012 is modeled after the Good Samaritan Act, but is narrower, more restrictive, and provides no liability protection.  The bill does not provide immunity to federal law enforcement officers, but simply allows for case removal to federal court where the officer will be required to defend his or her actions.  In addition, it doesn't infringe upon states' rights, as they retain the same due process rights that have existed since the early 1800's.

 

Specifically, the Officer Safety Act of 2012

·                     allows a federal law enforcement agent, who stops a violent crime while off-duty and is indicted in a state court for those actions, to petition for the state criminal prosecution against him to be removed to a federal court, and

 

·                     clarifies the "color of law" prong required in the removal process, as courts have invited Congress to clarify.

 

The bill is supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, and the National Border Patrol Council.  It is expected to be referred to the Judiciary committees in both the Senate and the House.  The bill text can be found by clicking here.

 

Here is Grassley's prepared statement for the Congressional Record upon introduction of the bill.

 

Mr. President, as a 2003 Judiciary Committee report stated, "Law enforcement officers are never 'off-duty.'"  Many are required to carry an off-duty weapon.  When they fly on personal business, they are expected to carry their weapon and check-in with the airline as a federal law enforcement agent so they can defend the pilots and passengers if something bad happens.  In fact, federal agents are specifically paid to be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  And agents can be disciplined if they are not available when called.  They are not even allowed to engage in activities on their personal time that regular citizens take for granted, like coaching their kids' sports teams, if it might interfere with their ability to respond to a crisis.

 

Federal law enforcement agents are extensively trained, at the expense of the tax-payer for the benefit of the tax-payer.  They not only train in basic academies, but they are required to participate in additional and regular training and re-certifications many times each year.  If training is missed or if standards are not up to par, the agent is disciplined or removed.  Federal law enforcement agencies take training requirements very seriously.  And the United States is known for having the best trained federal law enforcement officers in the world.

 

So what if one of these exceptionally-trained federal law enforcement agents walks into the grocery store on a Saturday and witnesses a woman being repeatedly hit by her husband; do we want him to walk past the woman?  No.  The taxpayers spend money on his training so that he can protect victims, not walk away from them.  In this situation, we all hope that he would use his training to protect the victim.  But when he steps in to protect the victim from a crime of violence occurring in his presence, he risks state criminal prosecution and damage to his career.  And that might lead him to hesitate.  This is contrary to good public policy.  If we were the victim in this scenario, every one of us would want that federal law enforcement officer to help us.

 

If a federal agent acts to protect an individual in his presence from a crime of violence, as taxpayer dollars have trained him to do, and then is indicted in State court for that act, he should have the right to defend himself within the federal court system.

 

So the Officer Safety Act amends the removal statute, found in Title 28, United States Code, Section 1442, to clarify when a federal law enforcement officer is acting under the color of his office.  This bill does not provide immunity for law enforcement agents, and it does not grant them additional authority.  It doesn't even guarantee that the case will be moved from state to federal court: the State will be heard and its position will be weighed by the judge before deciding if removal is appropriate.  It does allow a federal law enforcement officer/agent, who is indicted in a State court for actions related to his protection of a victim of a violent crime that is committed in the officer's presence, to petition for that criminal case to be removed to federal court, where the officer will be required to defend his actions.

 

Current law provides that removal is proper so long as defendants demonstrate that they are officers of the United States that acted "under color of" their office and have a "colorable federal defense".

 

In general, a federal agent acts "under color of" his office when he takes actions that are necessary and reasonable for the discharge of his federal responsibilities.  Accordingly, the prototypical example of a federal officer acting under color of his office is a federal law enforcement officer who kills someone while performing an act related to federal law enforcement and, in the subsequent state homicide prosecution, claims he was acting in self-defense and/or is entitled to official immunity.  The Supreme Court has upheld this prototypical example as appropriate for removal from state court to federal court.

 

The primary restraint on the current statute's scope is its limitation to defendants who acted under color of a federal office or, in other words, while performing official duties.  Defendants must show in their petition for removal that there is a causal nexus between the actions challenged and their federal duties.

 

The history of the removal statute explains why this is important.  The statute dates back to 1815.  It was passed in response to the New England States' opposition to the trade embargo with England during the War of 1812.  The law provided for the removal to federal court of any suit or prosecution commenced in state court against a federal customs officer or other persons enforcing federal customs laws.  Thus, federal agents did not need to fear performing their jobs because the local authorities opposed the embargo and wanted to stop them from enforcing it.

 

A few decades later, the U.S. government encountered a similar problem in South Carolina, which in 1833 declared certain federal tariff laws unenforceable within its borders.  Congress responded by authorizing the removal of any suit or prosecution commenced in a state court against an officer of the United States for the enforcement of the federal revenue laws.

 

During the Civil War and the Reconstruction era, Congress' disenchantment with state courts in the South led to new federal officer removal laws.  In the 1863 Habeas Corpus Act, Congress provided for the removal of suits or prosecutions against persons acting under federal authority for actions, or failures to act, during the Civil War.  In addition, Congress passed a removal statue similar to those of 1815 and 1833, authorizing the removal of suits or prosecutions commenced in state court against federal officers for actions, or omissions, related to the collection of federal revenue.  However, it was not until the enactment of the Judicial Code of 1948 that Congress extended the statute to cover all federal officers.

 

The courts view the history behind section 1442 and its statutory predecessors as justification for construing the statute broadly to assure the supremacy of U.S. law and protect federal operations against interference from state judicial proceedings.

 

This bill does not infringe upon State's rights, as they retain the same due process rights to be heard on the question of removal that have existed since the early 1800's.  In fact, this Congress passed a bill by unanimous consent that amended this statute, without a word about state's rights.

 

Today, federal law enforcement officers, whether or not in uniform, require protections when they take actions to assist citizens.  Civil liability protections are provided to officers under The Good Samaritan Act, codified at Title 28, United State Code, Section 2671.  This bill, the Officer Safety Act, while modeled on the Good Samaritan Act, is narrower, more restrictive, and provides no liability protection.  Rather, this bill clarifies the "color of law" prong required in the removal process, as courts have invited Congress to clarify.

 

The bill makes no change to the current standards governing when removal is permissible, and therefore leaves alone existing standards and case law.  But it provides that in three situations, the law enforcement officer who is a defendant in a State criminal prosecution will be deemed to have acted under color of his or her office: (1) when the officer protects a victim from a violent crime committed in the presence of the officer; (2) when the officer provides immediate assistance to an individual who suffered or is about to suffer imminent bodily harm; and (3) when the officer prevents the escape of an individual the officer reasonably believes committed or was about to commit, in the presence of the officer, a crime of violence that resulted in or was likely to result in serious bodily injury.  I believe that in these situations, the federal courts should always determine that the law enforcement officer acted under the color of his or her office for purposes of determining whether to grant the officer's removal petition.  But the courts remain free to determine under current law that there are other circumstances in which an officer seeking removal satisfies the color of office standard.

 

So the bill is a modest change that nevertheless provides an important layer of safety for the people who risk their lives day-in and day-out to protect us.  It will help make our communities safer and protect those who are sworn to guard and serve the American public.

 

This principle and this bill are supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, and the National Border Patrol Council.

 

I want to thank Senator Coons, a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, who co-chairs the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, and is a co-sponsor on this bill.  He understands the need to support law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day so that we can sleep safely at night.

 

Further, I want to thank Senators Coburn and Sessions, also members of the Judiciary Committee and cosponsors.  They, too, understand this allows us to support federal agents without spending a dollar.

 

"Law enforcement officers are never 'off-duty.'"  To expect them to standby while a victim suffers violent acts in his presence is contrary to the oath they take to protect and renders their tax-funded training wasted as a citizen becomes a victim.  Please join me in protecting those who protect us.

 

-30-


Braley visiting cities across new 1st District during "Works for Iowa" tour
Waterloo, IA - Starting next Tuesday, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will formally launch his reelection campaign during a three-day "Works for Iowa" tour across the new 1st Congressional District, starting in his hometown of Brooklyn and continuing to Cedar Rapids, Decorah, Dubuque, Marshalltown, and Waterloo.
Braley was born in Grinnell and grew up in nearby Brooklyn, Iowa.  He took his first job in 2nd grade and has been working ever since.  Braley worked his way through college at Iowa State and law school at the University of Iowa waiting tables, bartending, and building roads and bridges for the Poweshiek County Roads Department.  Braley worked as an attorney in Waterloo for 23 years, representing people against some of the most powerful corporations in the world.

Since 2007, Braley has been working for Iowa in the US House, standing up for veterans, strengthening the middle class, and working to create jobs here in Iowa.
Tuesday April 3, 2012
11:00am  Braley Formally Announces Campaign for US House
Community of Flags Park
Corner of E. 3rd St. and Jackson St.
Brooklyn, Iowa
2:30pm Braley Announces Campaign for US House in Cedar Rapids
Mays Island Memorial Plaza
51 2nd Ave.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Wednesday April 4, 2012
11:00am  Decorah Meet and Greet
Java John's Coffee House 
400 W. Water St.
Decorah, Iowa
3:00pm Dubuque Campaign Kickoff Event
Veterans Memorial Plaza 
1801 Admiral Sheehy Dr.
Dubuque, Iowa

Thursday April 5, 2012
12:00pm  Marshalltown Meet and Greet
Orpheum Theater Center and Coffee Shop
220 E. Main St.
Marshalltown, Iowa
3:00pm Waterloo Campaign Kickoff Event
Jameson's Public House
310 E. 4th St.
Waterloo, Iowa
# # #
DAVENPORT, IA–Big Brothers Big Sisters is now accepting mail-in and online orders until April 23rd for its Annual Plant Sale. Flowers will be available after this date at their retail site May 5th - 13th at Northwest Bank Tower in Davenport.

The Plant Sale offers hundreds of annuals and specialty plants for purchase including flats, hanging baskets, spikes, and vinca vines. Individual, group, and corporate orders are encouraged through the pre-order campaign by visiting www.bbbs-mv.org. Pre-orders over $150.00 can be delivered to your home or business May 5th-8th.

"Hanging baskets in particular have been really popular in recent years. They make a great Mother's Day gift. In addition to the online order form, the website features photos of all the types of plants we have available, so people have a better idea of what they're ordering," Justin said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters recommends that customers order their plants in advance to ensure the fulfillment of their entire order. Pre-orders can be placed on the agency's website at www.bbbs-mv.org. Customers can also call Big Brothers Big Sisters at (563) 323-8006 to have an order form mailed to them.

For pre-orders, customers have a chance to help beautify a local summer camp for youth and a woman's shelter. Purchase one or more flats of flowers to be donated to Camp Shalom or Winnie's Place.

Pick-up and delivery of pre-orders will be Saturday, May 5th through Tuesday, May 8th. Retail and walk-up sales will be held Saturday, May 5th through Sunday, May 13th, at the Northwest Bank Tower in Davenport.

"People like to bring their mothers and shop for plants together," Justin said. "For many families, companies and individuals, the Plant Sale has become a Mother's Day tradition."

The plant sale is presented by Iowa American Water, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors, Hazelwood Homes and Heritage Landscape Design. Other sponsors include Northwest Bank & Trust Company, Becker & Becker, RSC Equipment Rental, Modern Woodmen, Lujack's, DMW Design, WHBF-TV, Quad-City Times and Koehler Electric.

A portion of the proceeds from the plant sale support AmeriCorps member's direct service projects within Big Brothers Big Sisters.

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Crescent Healthcare Laundry Earns TRSA Clean Green Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 30, 2012?Crescent Laundry, Davenport, IA, has been certified Clean Green by TRSA, which is leading the textile services industry to new heights in sustainability and environmental protection by establishing this international standard. Crescent has met TRSA's requirements for achieving efficiencies in water and energy conservation and adopting best management practices for reusing, reclaiming and recycling resources.

Crescent Laundry is one of the first five laundry processing companies in the country to qualify for the certification.

The certification gives Crescent's business-to-business customers third-party verification that the sheets, towels, uniforms, and other reusable textiles they procure from the company are laundered in an environmentally friendly manner.

"Contracting with Crescent for textile services is a statement of conscientiousness about natural resources and a commitment to sustainability," stated Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. "Choosing a Clean Green laundry is part of managing a supply chain with maximum environmental protection in mind."

More business owners and operators are modifying their production technologies, processes and work habits to improve efficiency and conserve supplies, Ricci observed. "Clean Green prompts them to consider how their choices of outsourced functions such as laundry affect their total environmental impact," he added.

Businesses that opt for work uniform rental service and linen supply from textile services companies?as opposed to assigning staff to wash work clothes at home or using smaller on-premises or commercial laundries for linens?have chosen the superior route for minimizing natural resources depletion.

TRSA's new certification helps organizations find the best choices in this respect. Laundry facilities such as Crescent's with the highest-speed, largest-capacity equipment are most likely to exceed Clean Green standards due to such machinery's energy and water efficiencies. Just as important, because these industrial-scale laundries have hundreds or even thousands of customers, these facilities are large enough to economically deploy the latest technologies for removing pollutants, recovering heat, reusing rinse water and other resource-saving functions.

Based in Davenport, Crescent serves Eastern Iowa and Western and Central Illinois health care providers, including acute care, outpatient care and long-term care facilities. Crescent processes more than 8 million pounds of laundry each year.

"Crescent is proud to be recognized for a commitment we have made to reduce our environmental impact and to create efficiencies in our use of water, energy and cleaning materials. These strategies will benefit our customers and residents of Davenport in the long term,'' said Rick Kislia, manager of Crescent Laundry.

Crescent was founded in 1917.  The company became part of Genesis Health System in 1994 when the system was created by the merger of St. Luke's and Mercy hospitals.

About TRSA and the Textile Services Industry

Based in Alexandria, Va., TRSA represents the $16-billion textile services industry that employs nearly 200,000 people at more than 2,000 facilities nationwide. These companies provide laundered textiles and other products and services that help businesses project a clean and attractive public image. The industry reaches every major business and industrial region, Congressional district and city in the country. Most Americans benefit at least once a week from the cleanliness and safety provided by the industry?through its laundering and delivery of reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products for the healthcare, hospitality and industrial/manufacturing sectors. TRSA member companies' services minimize environmental impacts on air, water and solid waste disposal while reducing costs for millions of customers.

Assistant Labor Secretary Kathy Martinez to host April 2 press teleconference on new employment program for individuals with significant disabilities

 

WASHINGTON ? Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy, will host a media teleconference on April 2 to discuss the Employment First State Leadership Mentor Program, a Labor Department grants initiative designed to facilitate the full inclusion of people with significant disabilities in employment and community life.

Three states ? Iowa, Oregon and Tennessee ? will receive the first round of grants through the program to assist with planning, policy development and capacity building. "Employment First" aims to promote the development of state policies so that integrated employment is the first option of service for individuals with significant disabilities. Integrated employment refers to jobs held by people with disabilities in typical workplace settings in which the majority of individuals employed do not have disabilities, those with disabilities earn at least the minimum wage and they are paid directly by the employer.


(Rock Island, IL)– When Royal Neighbors of America members Jenna Marwitz and Nicole Sparks, Brownwood, TX, wanted more time with their families, they found a way to cut down on their time in the kitchen...and became the Crockin' Girls. What started as a fun and fast online recipe exchange with families and friends quickly went viral, resulting in more than one million Facebook© friends since the beginning. They have created a crockin' community that has changed mealtime in households across the country.

Kristin McDaniel, Chief Marketing Executive of Royal Neighbors, joined the Crockin' Girls in Texas for one of their weekly video shoots to demonstrate how to make "Come Together Roast," a recipe for slow cookers created especially for Royal Neighbors.

Royal Neighbors and the Crockin' Girls are a natural fit. The girls' strong family values align well with Royal Neighbors' 117-year heritage of supporting women and their families. Like the founders of Royal Neighbors had a vision to empower women, Nicole and Jenna are empowering a nation of "friends" to spend time where it matters most...with their families.

"Nicole and Jenna are typical Royal Neighbors. They saw a need and set out to fill it," said Ms. McDaniel. "Back in 1895 when the women who founded Royal Neighbors saw what happened to families when the mother died unexpectedly, they also saw a need...life insurance for women. They, too, created a community, a nationwide organization that continues to empower and protect women financially with life insurance, while encouraging them to be part of volunteer efforts in their own neighborhoods."

Royal Neighbors and the Crockin' Girls are shaping a new generation of women who come together to make a difference.

Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation's largest women-led life insurance companies, exists for the benefit of its members. It offers insurance products to fulfill financial needs of growth, savings, and protection. Members receive valuable benefits and can participate in volunteer activities through the organization's local chapters to help make a difference in their communities. The organization's philanthropic efforts are dedicated to changing women's lives through its national programs, including the Nation of NeighborsSM Program, and through the Royal Neighbors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Headquartered in Rock Island, IL, with branch offices in Mesa, AZ, and Austin, TX, Royal Neighbors serves more than 215,000 members and is licensed to do business in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information about Royal Neighbors of America, call (800) 627-4762, or visit www.royalneighbors.org.

 

 

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