Dee Schricker, Heidi Brandt and Dee Oberle announce the opening of their new gallery, Boho Chic, "Art for your Bohemian Soul," Suite 105, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA.

The artists of Boho Chic specialize in artistic accents and groupings created from clay, paint, fabric, photography and mixed media.

"We opened the gallery together," says Dee Oberle, "Because our work complements each others and because we have similar philosophies. We believe life is too short to live without art.  Our goal is to collaborate with our clients to find art that fits their personal style with the ultimate goal of helping them create an oasis of beauty in their home or business that they enjoy looking at every day."

Boho Chic is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.  The gallery will stay open until 9 p.m. the last Friday of each month when the galleries of Bucktown celebrate Final Friday with food, entertainment and other special activities.  Bucktown Center for the Arts is located at 225 East 2^nd Street, Davenport.

For more information about Boho Chic, contact Dee Schricker, jschricker@bcglobal.net

For information about Bucktown Center for the Arts go to; www.bucktownarts.com

( L.to R) Dee Oberle, Dee Schricker & Heidi Brandt

Meet the Artists of Boho Chic:

Dee Schricker

jschricker@sbcglobal.net

Phone # (563) 381-1707 or (563) 676-0192

Creating, whether it is clay, painting, fabric art or even a new recipe, is Dee Schricker's daily passion.  She truly enjoys making something beautiful and interesting out of a lump of clay, a blank canvas, odd pieces of cloth and found objects.

"I love having the artistic freedom to try new approaches and challenge old techniques then mix media to achieve the look I want to express.  I get a great deal of satisfaction," Schricker says, "In creating something I can't find anywhere else and when someone purchases a piece of my art to display in their home or business, I am truly honored.

Schricker's clay work is Raku and fired using her own glaze recipes.  "Drawing and painting the clay with a palette of glazes," Schricker says, "adds texture and depth to the piece and Raku firing gives it life that can't be achieved in other ways."   She will often create a design concept in both clay and canvas.

Heidi Brandt

hbrandtcreative@mchsi.com

Phone # (563) 386-0963 or (563) 340-2611

A life-long love and respect for nature and animals was the catalyst that led Heidi Brandt into the world of photography. A graphic designer by trade, she uses her knowledge of technology and her designer's eye to zero in on the detail of a subject creating painter-like abstracts and still life images.

"My goal," Brandt says, "Is to capture the essence of subject whether that is an owl living in the tree outside my house, the light coming through leaves or the graphic design of a piece of broken glass."

DeEdra Oberle

dee@the-oberles.net

Phone # (563) 355-7567 or (563) 370-4562

Photography has been a hobby for Dee Oberle since her father first gave her a little Kodak box camera when she was 6 years old but it wasn't until she took a black and white film class at St. Ambrose University that it turned into a passion.  Working in the field of public relations gave her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with photography to tell a story and she still enjoys documenting a subject and sharing the story behind the image.

"Photography provides me with a connection to my spirit," Oberle says.  "It gives me an opportunity to see through my lens what we often take for granted and to translate my vision for others to enjoy.  I'm still often in awe of the photographic process and feel there is something magical about capturing a milkweed seed in flight or the forgotten beauty of a rusty car door."  Oberle enjoys using hers photographic images as the basis for mixed media and image transfers.

Oberle and Brandt have worked together since 2005 under the name, Gypsy Chicks Photography.  Their images are available as small "mailable art cards" that fit in a 5X7 frame, ready-to-frame prints or as larger images printed on archival paper and custom framed or transferred to canvas.  They also work with clients to create custom images for homes and businesses and teach digital photography classes.  Their work can be purchased on-line through their Imagekind gallery at www.gypsychicksphotography.imagekind.com

Law to Reduce Violence by Allowing Law Enforcement to Prosecute Gang Leaders for Crimes They Order

CHICAGO - June 11, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a tough new law to fight gang crime and reduce violence in Illinois. The new law empowers law enforcement with the ability to prosecute street gang leaders for the criminal acts of their organizations. Joining the governor was Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and local lawmakers.

"One of the best ways to make our neighborhoods safer is to go after street gang leaders who profit from crime," Governor Quinn said. "Gang leaders cannot be allowed to escape justice by hiding behind criminals who do their bidding. This law will help law enforcement get gangs off the street and keep them off."

House Bill 1907, sponsored by Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) and Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Chicago), is modeled off the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act that was designed to help law enforcement fight organized crime by treating criminal acts committed by members of the group as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Under this legislation, law enforcement in Illinois can more effectively target the street gang leaders who order and benefit from the crimes of lower-ranking members.

The Illinois Street Gang RICO was an initiative of Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who recently formed the office's first anti-racketeering unit to use the new law to build gang RICO cases involving multiple defendants with the goal of dismantling the street gang from the top down. The unit's specially-trained prosecutors will also work with other State's Attorney's Offices throughout Illinois on how to apply the law effectively.

"For the first time in the history of our state, this new law will give local prosecutors the tools to identify and address patterns in multiple gang-related offenses and join different organized crime offenses and different offenders into a single court proceeding," Alvarez said. "Prior to the signing of this bill, state prosecutors were typically only able to charge individual gang crimes and rarely, if ever, were able to prosecute and hold gang leaders accountable for the organized activities of the street gang and its rank-and-file members."

Under the new law, gang members convicted of criminal conspiracy under the new law could face more than 30 years in prison depending on the associated crimes, and fines of up to $250,000 or twice the gross amount of any criminal proceeds. Illinois joins 31 other states in having racketeering statutes.

According to the Chicago Police Department, Chicago has the largest gang population in the country, with approximately 100,000 members in hundreds of factions. 75-80% of the city's homicides are gang-related.

"On behalf of the children, families and neighbors of Chicago and across Illinois, I commend the Governor for signing HB1907 into law today, and I thank State Senator Tony Munoz and State Representative Mike Zalewski for their work on this bipartisan legislation and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez for her leadership on this issue," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "This law will give local law enforcement the power to prosecute gang leaders for crimes that they ordered others to commit and provide a critical tool to dismantle the structure of gangs that are targeting our neighborhoods."

"The Chicago Police Department is committed to making Chicago a safe place to live, work, and play for our residents and we will use all available resources, including the new RICO law, to ensure the safety of communities across the city of Chicago," said CPD Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy. "I commend Mayor Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez for their leadership, State Senator Tony Munoz and Representative Mike Zalewski for their sponsorship, and Governor Pat Quinn for his support of this critical legislation and look forward to the positive effect this action will have in Chicago."

"As a former law enforcement officer, I've seen firsthand how gangs are destroying our neighborhoods," said Sen. Tony Munoz. "The violence and the killing needs to stop for the good our children, our communities, and our city. This law sends a strong message to gangs that they can no longer dodge justice."

"Under this law, judges and juries will be able to see the big picture when it comes to looking at the full impact of gangs in Illinois," Rep. Mike Zalewski said. "Gangs that collectively benefit from crimes should not be able to escape criminal responsibility by letting junior members take the fall."

The law takes effect immediately.

By Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

While the kids are exuberantly shouting, "School's out!" many parents may be quietly worrying just how they're going to feed their kids all summer long.  I want to assure those moms, dads and caregivers that USDA has a program that can help.

All it takes is a toll free phone call to find a USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) site where children in low-income areas can get a free meal during the summer months when schools are closed.  The National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-866-348-6479) can give you locations of Summer Food Service Program sites open in your local area.  Just provide your zip code and the Hotline operator will tell you if there is a site near where you live.  This information is also available to Spanish speakers, 1-877-8-HAMBRE.

Summer meals are free for children 18 and under at open sites.  In addition to a healthy meal, the program offers enjoyable learning activities held in a safe place where kids can play with friends and make new ones.

Summer meal sites are located at libraries, schools, family centers, youth drop-in centers, park and recreation centers, faith-based organizations, day camps and food banks, and many other locations where children come together during the summer months. Sites offer activities such as arts and crafts, drama, sports, computer training, music and reading that keep kids interested and coming back day after day.   I've personally visited many sites and know that the kids have a great time and enjoy good meals.

We need to spread the word so that more families, parents and children know about this program and can find a site in their community. I encourage parents and sponsoring organizations to work with their schools to send Summer Food Service Program flyers and other outreach materials home with students before the end of school.  Our Website, www.summerfood.usda.gov includes templates for creating these materials.

SFSP is vitally important to the millions of kids who eat school lunch and school breakfast during the school year but have no nutritious alterative in the summer.  Only 3 million of the 22 million students who receive free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program participate in a summer feeding program either through SFSP or through their school.

Summertime should not be a hungry time for these kids. SFSP fills that gap.  Healthy food gives kids energy so they can enjoy all the summertime fun, but also maintains their nutrition so they feel well and do well once they're back in school.

At USDA, we're committed to ensuring that all students have access to "food that's in while school is out."  We are here to help parents and communities make that a reality this summer.

Specialist in wheel thrown pottery of the artistic side as opposed to functional pottery.

With a career as an Accountant, Comptroller and Budget Director of the Industrial Division with Deere & Company, he is a member of the Budget Executive Institute and National Accounting Association and trained at Augustana's Fine Art department, and seminars at various major Universities and workshops with visiting potters, Richard's work has been honored and sold across the U.S. and in many foreign countries.

Richard's love of Art has been with him all his life.  His creativity expressed in his art brings Fine Art to your daily life, as sculpture to accent your garden and outdoors.  All his creations are one-of-a-kind.

At Augustana he developed an Ash-Glaze, named after him as Rich's Ash-Glaze, which is still being used at the college.

Richard continues to creata pottery as Fine Art.

Richard's show will open to the public from May 19th, 2012 to July 19, 2012 at

Phoenix Fine Art Gallery  1530 Fifth Avenue, Moline, Illinois  61265  Tel. 309-762-9202

Wed-Fri. 12noon to 2pm and 6pm to 8pm

Sat. 2pm through 8pm

Additional hours are by appointment.

www.atthephoenix.com email:  the phoenixegg@gmail.com