A recent rash of news stories highlights the positive in society's youngest members: "Child Saves Kids from Bus Crash;" "Child Saves His Brother from Possible Abduction;" "Child Saves Family from House Fire."

But all too often, the news involving children indicates a dangerous lack of morality: 7- and 8-year-olds stealing cars; a 9-year-old's recent shooting of a school classmate; a 12-year-old charged with armed robbery. A particularly bad one nearly 20 years ago shocked sisters Debbie Burns and Patty Cockrell. Two 10-year-old truants abducted a toddler in England, tortured the little boy and beat him to death.

It prompted the women to begin work on Tukie Tales: A New Beginning for a Better Tomorrow (www.tukietales.com), a series of five children's books designed to help parents teach young children important values.

"There is something especially senseless in reading about small children committing sadistic crimes," Burns says. "We wanted to be part of a 'positive push' in the right direction."

The younger the child, the more impressionable they are, she says. We wanted to help busy parents scrambling to make ends meet teach children empathy, compassion, environmental awareness and other values.

"I don't think parents are bad," she says. "But with all the economic worries, the job losses and home foreclosures, many are focused on working and worrying. It's hard to also be thinking, 'What value will I teach my child today?' "

Burns and Cockrell offer tips for parents to help positively shape children:

• Promote a love for nature: Are your kids outdoors much? Parents who are busying shuttling their sons and daughters from one building to another may overlook the benefits of the great outdoors. Wilderness, however, has a therapeutic effect on indoor dwellers. Spending time in nature also helps children learn about their place in the world and the value of all the life that shares space with us.

• Show the value of teamwork: Working together toward a common goal doesn't always come naturally to children - or adults. Many youngsters learn teamwork through sports, which is good but almost always includes a competitive element. It's important for children to experience the added benefits of creating, problem-solving and getting chores done as a team. Parents should look for opportunities to point out their children's great teamwork.

• Make sure they appreciate safety: No good parent wants to unnecessarily frighten their children, but carelessness leads to bad habits, injuries and opportunities for others to do them harm. The best medicine for any problem is prevention. Remember: Don't take for granted that your young child knows what's safe and what's not. Some years ago, someone taught you that stoves can burn your hand - even though you can't remember who or when it was.

• Build their confidence with at least one skill: Remember what it's like to be 4 years old? Very young children come into this world with no previous experience, which means their brains are hungry for know-how. Knowledge and skills to a child are like water for a thirsty man in the desert.

• Kindness counts: It is one thing to teach kids the old idiom that one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar. But children should also know that people who make kindness a habit tend to be happier; there is an inherent joy in helping others.

"I understand parents are busy earning a living to support their children," Cockrell says. "But who you raise in the process makes all the difference to the future world."

About Debbie Burns & Patty Cockrell

Burns and Cockrell are sisters and best friends. They were determined to instill honest and wholesome values in their children after establishing their families. Deeply affected by the bad news of the world, they decided to promote a better experience for children. The "Tukie Tales" series is written with compassion and love for all of the world's children in the hope of making a positive difference.

DC event is Part of Coca-Cola and US Olympic Committee's effort to promote physical activity among kids 

 

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will join Olympic champion and West Des Moines native Shawn Johnson at an event in Washington, DC, this afternoon to increase awareness of and help combat childhood obesity by promoting active, healthy lifestyles.  Braley will introduce Johnson at an appearance at Washington's King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, managed by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, as part of Coca-Cola's and the US Olympic Committee's "Get the Ball Rolling" program to promote physical activity and proper nutrition among kids.

Following a brief speaking program, an Olympic-themed fitness clinic for local youth will provide them an opportunity to learn about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

In December 2011, Braley and Johnson teamed up to introduce the Shawn Johnson Fitness for Life Act, legislation that seeks to improve physical education programs at schools by emphasizing the use of technology like heart monitors and computerized fitness programs in teaching.

More information on the bill can be found at the following link: http://braley.house.gov/shawn-johnson-fitness-life-act

Barnes & Noble Bookfair continues online

If you weren't able to stop by Barnes & Noble recently during the bookfair, you can still make a purchase at www.barnesandnoble.com. At check out you can indicate that your purchase in a Bookfair Order. Enter the number 10774149 and 10% of your purchase price will be donated to the QCSO.

2nd Fiddle Sale Preview Party on June 14

The 2nd Fiddle Sale opens with a "first chance to buy" Preview Party on Thursday, June 14, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with refreshments and live music. The sale continues with free admission on Friday, June 15, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tickets for the Preview Party are $10; admittance to the sale on Friday and Saturday is free. Tickets are for sale at the door or at www.qcsymphony.com
The Quad Cities Comic Book Convention will be held on Saturday Jun1 16 at the Ramada Inn in Bettendorf, IA. The Ramada Inn is located at 3020 Utica Rd (I-74 @ Kimberly Rd / Spruce Hills Dr, IA Exit 2). It will be open to the public from 10 AM to 4 PM and admission for the public is free. Dealers from three states specializing in comic books new and old, toys and related. Or if you have old comics lying around that you no longer want bring them by dealers are buying. For further information contact Alan at (309) 657-1599 or visit www.epguides.com/comics.
Celebrate the best vintages from the Grand Traverse Region with the 2012 Traverse City Wine & Art Festival on Saturday, June 30th. Discover the flavors that have captured top honors in head to head national and international competition with wines from California, France and other leading wine regions.

Wine-maker Lee Lutes said of the 2011 harvest: "These wines have lush fruit on both the nose and the palate. They have body in the mouth that only comes from well-developed fruit, and there is a lingering finish that simply begs for food."

This is Michigan's only festival celebrating all the senses with some of the region's finest wine, food, art and music brought together for one spectacular evening. Pair any of more than 125 Leelanau, Old Mission Peninsula and northern Michigan wines with cuisine from the area's top eateries including Trattoria Stella, Siren Hall, Patisserie Amie and Poppycocks.

Headlining this year's festival is platinum recording artist Rusted Root. They'll be joined by Orpheum Bell, Lauren Mann and a medley of music and dance performances throughout the evening. Wander the Food Garden as you sip wines & ciders and explore the work of fine artists on display beneath the canopy of the historic arboretum at the Grand Traverse Commons.  

Recognized by National Geographic as one of the top travel destinations in the world for 2012, Traverse City is home to more than miles of pristine beaches, wilderness and dunes.  "Artists have long been drawn to this region and it comes as no surprise that its beauty has inspired exceptional art and attracted nationally acclaimed artists to make this their home. Northern Michigan is an artist mecca, but all the same it is a rare opportunity to find a gathering of these jewels in one place," said Dawn Thomas of ArtCenter Traverse City.

The festival is from 3 - 10pm, and tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door available at http://traversecitywinefestival.com

(Kansas City, Kan., June 6, 2012) - EPA has presented the University of Iowa, at Iowa City, Iowa, with a Green Power Partnership Top 20 Award for its on-site generation of green power.

EPA's Green Power Partnership works with a variety of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, agencies at all levels of government, and a growing number of colleges, universities, and schools, to promote green power concepts. EPA defines green power as electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact small hydroelectric sources.

Annually, the Green Power Partnership Awards highlight organizations' use of green power across various industry sectors. The University of Iowa was cited for using biomass (oat hulls) to displace coal in one of its two solid fuel boilers, which significantly reduces its emissions. The university's Main Power Plant cogenerated, per hour, nearly nine million kilowatts of electricity from biomass-produced steam, which represented more than three percent of the electric power consumption on campus in 2010.

Using green power helps reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and supports the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide.

EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). The awards serve to recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources. Nominations are typically collected in late spring for that year's award event, which is usually held the following fall in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Markets Conference.

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For more on EPA Green Power Partners, visit: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.htm

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

AMES, Iowa - At Iowa State University's spring commencement ceremonies, 3,722 students received degrees. Iowa State awarded 3,009 undergraduate degrees, 412 master's degrees, 144 veterinary medicine degrees and 157 doctor of philosophy degrees.

Of the students receiving bachelor's degrees, 851 graduated "With Distinction" (cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude). Nine students graduated as members of the Honors Program.

Bettendorf, IA
Tyler Steven Ambrozi, BS, Elementary Education,  ;
Lauren Anderson, BS, Psychology, M;
Stephanie Lynn Annen, BA, Communication Studies,  ;
Kaitlin Janaye Bohn, BS, Kinesiology and Health, S;
Marjorie E. Clark, BS, Chemistry,  ;
Kristin Elizabeth Congreve, BA, Communication Studies, M;
Kristin Elizabeth Congreve,  , Sociology,  ;
Nicholas Kyle Corbin, BS, Statistics,  ;
Amy Katherine D'Camp, BA, Biological/Pre-Medical Illustration, C;
Matthew Nicholas Gaul, BAR, Architecture-Professional Degree, 1;
Emily Melissa Graham, BS, Elementary Education,  ;
Jacob Thomas Hemberger, BS, Biology, S;
Jacob Thomas Hemberger, BS, Chemical Engineering, S;
Aaron Michael Hewitt, BFA, Integrated Studio Arts, C;
Leah Elizabeth Hodgin, BS, Elementary Education,  ;
Jacob Ravenhill Irwin, BS, Mechanical Engineering,  ;
Shannanh Elizabeth Johnson, BS, Anthropology,  ;
Joseph A. Jorgensen, BS, Aerospace Engineering,  ;
Jason Carl Kruse, BAR, Architecture-Professional Degree, C;
Michael Drew Kurtz, BS, Aerospace Engineering, C;
Elizabeth Leigh Leuthauser, MA, Political Science,  ;
Nicole Renee Oldfather, BS, Animal Science, M;
Michelle Alice Plante, BS, Marketing,  ;
Anna Sara Ryneer, BS, Kinesiology and Health,  ;
Lindsey Mcguire Seitz, BS, Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production,  ;
Cortney Jay Sievert, BS, Marketing,  ;
Devin Vaughn Sloan, BFA, Integrated Studio Arts,  ;
Scott Donald Sly, BS, Marketing,  ;
Scott Donald Sly, BS, Supply Chain Management,  ;
Moira Marie Sullivan, BS, Management,  ;
Moira Marie Sullivan,  , Marketing,  ;
Michele Lee Swisher, BS, Elementary Education,  ;
Curtis Ward, BFA, Graphic Design,  ;
Katherine Elizabeth Watson, BS, Marketing,  ;
Thomas Steven Wauer, BS, Community and Regional Planning,  ;


Coal Valley, IL
Thomas John Naert, BS, Agricultural Engineering, C;
Thomas John Naert, BS, Mechanical Engineering, C;
Kelsi Vi Stevenson, BS, Child, Adult, and Family Services,  ;


Cordova, IL
Quinn Jeffrey Robinson, BS, Animal Science, S;


Davenport, IA
Stacey Lynne Brockett, BLA, Landscape Architecture,  ;
Timothy O'Toole Corlett, BS, Kinesiology and Health,  ;
Krista Marie Driscoll, BS, Journalism and Mass Communication,  ;
Nicholas Allen Eisenbacher, BS, Civil Engineering,  ;
Jennifer Michelle Gerken, BS, Dietetics (H SCI),  ;
Alexander Joseph Gowey, BS, Accounting, C;
Kelsey Jane Hoeksema, BS, Elementary Education,  ;
Kim Phan Quynh Kieu,  , Accounting,  ;
Kim Phan Quynh Kieu, BS, Finance,  ;
Edward Yee Ly, BFA, Graphic Design,  ;
Kristin Suzanne Magnus, BA, English,  ;
Max Lee Mayfield, BS, Computer Engineering,  ;
Britney Jean Meier, BS, Child, Adult, and Family Services,  ;
Alexandra Eleni Menard, BS, Anthropology, 2;
Alexandra Eleni Menard, BA, Spanish, 2;
Nathan Steffan Premo, BS, Software Engineering, C;
Adam Todd Prosise, BS, Agronomy,  ;
Kirstin N. Prunchak, BS, Animal Ecology,  ;
Aleah Nicole Salisbury, BS, Finance, C;
Austin John Sawyer, BS, Psychology,  ;
Brian Michael Smith, BS, Journalism and Mass Communication, C;
Ryan Anthony Walker, BS, Sociology,  ;


De Witt, IA
David Christopher Collier, BS, Supply Chain Management,  ;


Durant, IA
Tyler Michael Holst, BS, Agricultural Systems Technology,  ;


Eldridge, IA
Rashell Nicole Stroud, BA, Psychology,  ;


Long Grove, IA
Michelle Morgan Paulus, BS, History, M;


Moline, IL
Jill Louise Dewitte, BS, Dietetics (H SCI),  ;
Curtis David Meier, BS, Mechanical Engineering,  ;


Rock Island, IL
Kaitlyn Rose Clevenstine, BS, Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production,  ;


Walcott, IA
Erin Michelle Fischer, BA, English, M;
Michelle Danielle Scott, BS, Dietetics (H SCI), M;

Iowa City, IA - Congressman Dave Loebsack delivered the following remarks this evening after winning the Democratic nomination in Iowa's Second Congressional District.  Below is the text of his remarks, as prepared for delivery.

"Thank you all so much!

"I want to thank all of the great volunteers who have been making phone calls, displaying yard signs, and supporting my campaign.

"I truly could not do any of this without you and I'm incredibly honored by all of the support and enthusiasm you have shown.

"One of the traits of our Democratic Party that makes us great is that we're a big tent - we include folks with all sorts of views and we're stronger for it.

"Senator Seng has served Davenport and our state for years, and I'd like to thank him for his dedicated service and for the respectful primary that was run.

"There are many things he and I agree on and I hope to have his support as we work towards November.

"Because I think we all know that the tough work begins tomorrow.

"We've already seen SuperPacs and national political groups taking an interest in this race.  And it's only going to increase starting tomorrow.

"We have our work cut out for us.

"Because November 6th is going to be about choices.

"Do Iowa families come before special interests?

"Do seniors have a safety net in retirement or will their Social Security be privatized and their Medicare turned into vouchers?

"Will Iowa families be able to send their kids to college?

"And will we live in a country where women are paid equal wages for equal work?

"These are the choices that will be made in November.

"And over the next five months, we need to tell Iowans what's at stake.

"It's going to take a lot of work but I'm ready to get to work and I know you are too!

"And it's going to be worth it.  Because this election is critical.

"Iowans are hurting.

"And we've been hurting for way too long.

"We're not just worried that our kids and grandkids aren't going to have the same opportunities we had to work hard and succeed; we're worried about jobs and what each day holds for middle-class families who just can't catch a break in this economy.

"But the Republican Congress and their nominee to run our great nation are far more focused on rewarding their special interest backers, ending Medicare as we know it, and declaring a war on women than they are in creating jobs, making sure families can send their kids to college, restoring the American Dream, and rebuilding an economy that works for ALL Iowans.

"That's not just misguided priorities - it's flat out wrong.

"My priority is, and always will be, supporting and strengthening working families and getting Iowans back to work - creating good jobs for hard-working Iowans.

"Iowa's best days are ahead of us.

"And if we fight together, we'll make those better days a reality for everyone.

"Because, if we don't, the Republicans will win and Iowans will lose.

"Our priorities are Iowans' priorities.

"And we must fight together to make those priorities heard.

"I cannot thank all of you enough for your support today and over the past weeks and months.

"I'm looking forward to working shoulder to shoulder with you all the way to victory in November!

"Thank you again!"
Waterloo, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement tonight after securing the Democratic nomination for Iowa First District US Representative:

"I'm honored be the Democratic nominee in the First Congressional District.  Over the next five months, I look forward to a spirited campaign focused on my record of creating jobs and new economic opportunities for Iowa, making education more affordable and accessible, and honoring the sacrifice of our veterans long after they return home. 

"I learned about hard work and Iowa common sense growing up in Poweshiek County.  I'm running for re-election because there is still work to do.  And the only way we're going to fix the mess in Washington is by sending people there who have the experience to bring people together and get things done."

# # #
Unusual Sorority Shares Demanding Lifestyle

College football fans are watching their teams practice and hoping the new recruits will be game-changers a few months from now. For them, it's the lull before the fall.

For the team coaches though, there is no lull. As usual, they're working seven days a week, heading out the door at 6 a.m. and coming home long after the wife and kids have gone to bed, says Kathy (Currey) Kronick, author of Mrs. Coach: Life in Major College Football (www.mrscoach14yrs.com).

"During spring ball games, they're not home, so their wives are doing everything but playing football," says Kronick, whose book recounts her years married to Coach Dave Currey. "And they'll do that, too, if necessary."

The life of a football coach's wife is notoriously demanding, so much so that in 1989, the American Football Coaches Wives Association was created to provide "camaraderie, support, information and service." They share a subculture unlike any other in the United States and, while it can be exciting and rewarding, it comes with many sacrifices.

"His career and the team are the No. 1 priority, no ifs, ands or buts about it. In that regard, it's a lot like military spouses, but with college coaches, the family lives in the public eye," Kronick says.

"The wives take care of everything at home, everything, because their husbands are at work day and night, seven days a week. Many wives also work - most coaches don't make a lot of money. The wives are also expected to attend games, fundraisers and recruiting dinners. Every couple of years, unless they're really, really lucky, they're single-handedly packing up the household to move the family across the country because their team lost and their husband got fired."

In 2008, three researchers interviewed nearly 300 college football coaches' wives to learn more about their lives. Their findings, Kronick says, paint a portrait of what fans never see when they are cheering - or jeering - the team.

• Wives pray for wins. Every loss can mean the coach gets fired. "So you not only have the stress of being suddenly jobless, but if he's fortunate to find another job, you'll likely be packing up the house and kids - without him, he's gone on ahead - to move to a new city and a new state," Kronick says. She moved 27 times during her marriage to Currey. Moving so frequently can be an adventure as families explore different parts of the country, but it's also hard to leave a place where you've made friends and grown comfortable.

• July is for weddings, funerals and making babies. College football coaches are off for the month of July, so that's when families plan important events. Some couples celebrate their wedding anniversaries in July - whether or not that's when the couple got married, Kronick says.

• Families must always be aware of the media. "You have to mind your p's and q's," Kronick says. "The media is always looking for something - they want to know the secrets. You also have to be very careful not to do anything that will make your school or team look bad." All the attention can be fun when the team is on a winning streak but, as Kronick points out, it's hard for kids at school when everyone's blaming their dad for the team's poor performance."

• Most coaches' families live on tight budgets. The majority of the families in the 2008 study had an income of $50,000 to $125,000 a year, with nearly 72 percent of the wives holding jobs outside the home.  Most assistant coaches have one-year contracts, Kronick says, so if they're fired - or the head coach is fired, which means the assistants lose their jobs, too - their income stops.

The life of a coach's wife isn't all hardship, Kronick notes. Out of necessity, wives become self-reliant and independent, if they weren't to begin with, and that boosts self-confidence.  It's fun cheering on your team, and lasting friendships are often formed among this group that shares so much.

"But in the end, most wives give up their lives for their husband's dream," Kronick says. "I couldn't do that any longer. I needed to pursue my own dreams, and to have a husband I could talk with about them."

About Kathy (Currey) Kronick

Kathy (Currey) Kronick was married to Dave Currey from 1974 to 1989. He was an assistant coach at Stanford University when they met and married, and later moved on to Long Beach State (Calif.), the University of Cincinnati and UCLA. They divorced in 1996. Kronick, who has a bachelor's in education of the deaf and a master's in counseling, is the mother of two children and is happily remarried.

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