WHEN: 6/09/12

TIME: 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Barnes and Noble, 320 West Kimberly Rd, Davenport, Iowa 52806

WHAT: Dorris, a resident of Davenport, IA, will be available to sign copies of his book, Life is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It,.

ROLLA, MO (05/30/2012)(readMedia)-- Adam Reab of Blue Grass, Iowa, is one of 13 seniors and recent graduates to receive a $5,000 Grainger Power Engineering Award from the electrical engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology this spring. The awards are presented as a reward for academic excellence.

The Power Engineering Awards are funded by a $1.3 million endowment from The Grainger Foundation of Chicago. Missouri S&T is recognized by Grainger for its ability to attract top students and educate quality engineers and is one of only six universities in the nation chosen to receive such funding.

Each spring, the Grainger Power Engineering Award is typically presented to up to 13 electrical engineering graduate and undergraduate students who plan to pursue careers in power engineering. Selection of recipients is based on academic performance, exhibited interest in power engineering and extra-curricular activities.

To be eligible for this year's award, students must have graduated with degrees in electrical engineering in August or December of 2011 or May 2012 and have emphasized their course work in power engineering. All of the recipients had significant power engineering experience, either through company internships, research projects or design projects.

Reab earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 2012.

As children blossom into young men and women, most insist on planning and running their own lives. Parents worry about all the basic essentials for their kids' independent living, like housing, eating properly, staying warm, being careful at night and more. But most parents forget to teach their youngsters one of the most important lessons of all - financial responsibility. The resulting turmoil can spell disaster for a child's future.

Consider this: The average young adult amasses $45,000 in debt by the time they turn 29, according to a recent PNC Bank report.

"This generation of 20-somethings was raised during an economically-thriving period," says financial expert Mark Hansen, author of Success 101 for Teens (www.success101forteens.com). "Undisciplined spending habits, student and car loans, and a tough job market have stymied their financial growth. Perhaps the worst culprit is financial ignorance, but we can count this as a lesson for future 20-somethings."

For young people, organizing finances can be intimidating to the point of prohibitive, he says.

"We need to have a curriculum in schools, from kindergarten through 12th grade, that ensures our kids graduate with financially literacy," he says. "From balancing a checkbook to understanding what it means to pay - and earn - interest, kids need basic money management skills to survive in the world, and most aren't getting them."

Hansen says all teens should know and practice so they can control their financial destinies:

• Saving for dreams - the three-envelope method: Use the first envelope for your day-to-day expenses: gas or lunch money. Pause before blowing this money at the movie theater or a fast-food restaurant! Envelope No. 2 is for short-term goals, which might be clothing or a new laptop. The third envelope is for long-term goals such as a car, college or a "future millionaire club" fund.

• How to create a budget: A budget lets us know what's possible, and not possible, with money. There are six steps to creating a budget. 1. List all of your expenses. 2. List all income. 3. List monthly expenses. 4. Add up these lists separately. 5. Tweak your budget so you can meet your expenses with money left over for savings. 6. Review your budget every week.

• How to set and follow through on goals: First, figure out what your current finances are, then determine what they will be in the future -- one year out, then two years out, then four years later, etc. How will you get to your one- or two-year goal? You need a plan, and most of the time that means either earning more money, spending less, or a combination of the two. Finally, you have to stick to your plan in order for it to work.

• Understanding interest rates, such as credit cards: Interest is a fee paid for using someone else's money. Simple interest is straightforward: 5 percent accrued in your bank account with $100 yields $5 in interest at the end of the year. Compound interest, however, means ever-increasing amounts. This is crucial to understanding debt you may take on from lenders. Know what you are borrowing, and the terms thereof. Just as your money can work for you in a bank account, money borrowed can work against you if it is not paid back in a timely manner.

• How to write checks and balance a checkbook: These days, it's easier than ever to review accounts online, which automatically tracks exchanges. HOWEVER, banks do make mistakes, which is why it's wise to track your accounts independently. Ask. Don't be embarrassed. Banks are putting a premium on service and want to establish a positive relationship with young customers.  If you have a question, speak to someone at the bank. As you take control of your money, you'll also take control of your life.

About Mark Hansen

A successful businessman, a former Palm Beach County, Fla., elected school board member and motivational speaker, Mark has dedicated his life to helping young people overcome obstacles and deal with the challenges of daily living. Struck by a car and nearly killed as a child, Mark fought back through positive actions and reactions to all that he had to overcome. As a result, he relates to teens in a very special way.  Through books such as, "Success 101 for Teens: Dollars and Sense for a Winning Financial Life," and seminars, Mark Hansen is driven to make an impact on teens and young adults and to empower them to rise above and triumph over life's obstacles.

"I'm excited to designate Moline as an official Main Street community. This means access to technical assistance and training on economic development. The designation will compliment what the Moline Centre Main Street program has already done to revitalize this historic part of Moline," Simon said.

Moline Centre, which is housed in the City of Moline's Economic Development Department, is the only Illinois Main Street program that operates within a unit of local government. The program is funded through Moline's two downtown Special Service Area (SSA) taxing districts and manages the maintenance contracts for the SSA.

The taxing districts generate revenue to provide downtown businesses with public way maintenance, marketing and promotional materials, as well as financing for rehabilitation projects through a façade improvement program that has provided over $300,000 to 21 projects since 2006. Moline Centre hopes to compliment this service with architectural design services in cooperation with Illinois Main Street and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

"Moline is honored to have been selected for participation in the Illinois Main Street Program," said Moline Centre Coordinator Pam Owens. "Our group has worked very hard to meet the criteria set by the Illinois Main Street Program, and I want to thank all of our volunteers and staff for their efforts. With their continued energy and dedication, we will keep moving forward, and make Downtown Moline Centre a thriving part of our community."

The designation ceremony took place in front of the City of Mills mural which features a depiction of downtown Moline in 1850. The Downtown Commercial Historic District, which is located in the larger of the two SSAs, is on the National Register of Historic Places and was home to John Deere's first factory. The manufacturer of agricultural machinery remains headquartered in Moline and is celebrating 175 years in business.

Moline joins Rock Island, which has been a Main Street community since 1996. The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District implements the program in conjunction with two other organizations - Development Association of Rock Island and Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation - under the umbrella of Renaissance Rock Island.

"The Illinois Main Street program is a great resource to access for revitalization efforts of downtown," said Brian Hollenback, President of Renaissance Rock Island. "Those resources help us develop and utilize design standards for renovation efforts that are crucial to preserving, revitalizing and telling the story of downtown Rock Island."

Illinois Main Street is administered by the Office of Regional Economic Development at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and offers its designated communities technical assistance and training in how to revitalize traditional downtowns, neighborhood business districts, and urban corridors. The program is part of the National Main Street Program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street Center.

Simon announced in March that the Illinois Main Street Program is once again accepting applications from communities interested in becoming part of the program. Communities interested in obtaining more information can visit www.illinoismainstreet.org.

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