23 May 2012

The Moline Foundation To Announce a Major Gift to Assist Education In Three Illinois Quad City School Districts

By Linda Martin

Thenews conference will be held on Wednesday, May 23rd at 8:30 a.m. at Roosevelt Elementary School, 3530 23rd Avenue, Moline, Illinois to announce a major funding gift from a local community foundation, the Moline Foundation, to benefit over 600 students in Illinois Quad City elementary schools.

The funding gift is the result of a comprehensive review of needs conducted by the Moline Foundation called the Quad Cities Community Vitality Scan. Sandra Kramer, Chairman of the Moline Foundation, says, "For the first time in the 58-year history of the Moline Foundation, we, as a Board, studied the needs in the community and then embarked upon sessions in proactive grantmaking that has resulted in a major grant. We want to impact change through our community-needs funding."

Other invited guests at the announcement on May 23rd will include : members of the Moline Foundation Board, Moline School District No. 40 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cal Lee; Rock Island School District No. 41 Superintendent Mike Oberhaus; East Moline School District No. 37 Kristan Humphries; Moline Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Clint Christopher; East Moline Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction LaVonne Peterson; and Rock Island Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Bill Osborne.

As a Community Foundation, The Moline Foundation offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause such as education or the environment, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a Community Foundation which provides funding to health, human services, education, community, workforce and economic

The Moline Foundation to Announce a Major Gift to Assist Education in Three Illinois Quad City School Districts development, the arts and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Warren, McDonough and Henderson counties in western Illinois. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts; has a current endowment of approximately $17 million; and handles additional funds to benefit donor wishes. The Moline Foundation also serves as a catalyst and convener to bring about solutions to problems affecting quality of life in our region.

Members of the Moline Foundation Board include :

  • Sandra Kramer, Board Chairman
  • Jim McLaughlin, Board Vice Chairman
  • Darcy Callas, Board Secretary
  • Jon Tunberg, Immediate Past Board Chairman
  • Peter Benson
  • Gene Blanc
  • Dennis Fox
  • Mary Lagerblade
  • Ann Millman
  • Dennis Schwartz


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23 May 2012

The Old Creamery Theatre offers a special evening of entertainment July 15

By Shelley Klimes
Amana - The Old Creamery Theatre is offering a special evening of entertainment and
refreshments on Sunday, July 15 starting at 6 p.m. on the Main Stage in Amana.

Tom Milligan, producing director at The Old Creamery Theatre will portray Grant Wood,
Henry A. Wallace and Forrest Spaulding in three separate one-man plays written by
nationally known playwright Cynthia Mercati.

In Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel, Milligan will chat with the audience as Grant Wood and
talk about his life and how he changed the art world with his work.

In The Not So Quiet Librarian, Milligan will portray Forrest Spaulding, director of the
Des Moines Public Library and a leader in the library world. Spaulding wrote the Library
Bill of Rights, which was adopted by the American Library Council in 1938.

In American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A Wallace, Milligan will portray
the agricultural innovator and founder of Pioneer Hi-Bred seed corn who became U. S.
Secretary of Agriculture and later Vice President under Franklin Roosevelt.

Tickets are $30 and includes all three plays plus delicious hors d'oeuvres and light
desserts from Phat Daddy's in Marengo. Call The Old Creamery Theatre box office at
800-35-AMANA or 800-352-6262 or visit the web site at www.oldcreamery.com.

The Old Creamery Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre bringing live
performances to the Midwest for 41 years.
23 May 2012

Family Museum Receives Grant for Upcoming Gallery Renovation

By Elly Gerdts

Bettendorf, IA - On May 16, 2012 in Des Moines, Iowa, the Community Attraction and Tourism Board and the Vision Iowa Board voted in favor of a $195,000 grant to help support the Family Museum's upcoming gallery renovation project Rethink, Reshape, Reinvent. The entire project cost is estimated at $1.3 million.

Rethink, Reshape, Reinvent is a project more than two years in the making with the purpose to renovate and reuse the Family Museum's existing 7,100 square feet of exhibit gallery space in order to provide a new set of learning experiences and environments specifically designed to meet the needs of young learners age 8 and younger and their adult caregivers. After renovation, The Museum's new learning environments will encompass approximately 7,690 square feet, with an additional 2,000 square feet devoted to the traveling exhibit gallery.

Support from the community, both public and private, has been committed by the City of Bettendorf, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, the Alcoa Foundation, the Family Museum of Arts and Science Foundation, the Dorothea LeClair Bequest, Modern Woodmen of America, the Scott County Board of Supervisors, the Riverboat Development Authority, the 3M Foundation, Miriam Kelm, the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, the Scott County Regional Authority, and Friends of the Family Museum.

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23 May 2012

President Obama to Hold a Campaign Grassroots Event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds

By Randy Stalsberg

CHICAGO, IL - On Thursday, May 24, President Obama will hold a grassroots event at the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

 

In Des Moines, President Obama will continue to outline how far we've come and the clear choice that voters face in this election: whether we continue to move our country forward by creating an economy that's built to last based on a strong, secure middle class, or go back to the same failed policies that led to the financial crisis and left middle-class Americans struggling to make ends meet.

 


WHAT: President Obama to Hold Campaign Grassroots Event

 

WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 2012

Estimated Remarks Start Time: 7:00PM CDT

WHERE: Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center

Iowa State Fairgrounds

3000 East Grand Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50317

 

PRESS ACCESS: This event is open to pre-credentialed members of the media.

 

RSVP: Members of the media interested in covering this event must request credentials online, by clicking here. Those receiving credentials will be notified via email.

 

 

**The deadline to request credentials is 6:00 PM EDT // 5:00 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 23.**

 

Logistical Information

 

Media entrance: All media should enter the Iowa State Fairgrounds at Gate 11, located at 30 East 30th Street. Media check-in will be at the intersection of East Grand Avenue and East 33rd Street.

Media pre-set: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

No access to equipment: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Media access: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Final media access: 5:30 p.m.

Live truck parking: South side of the Animal Learning Center next to the electrical building. Parking will be directed on-site. All live trucks should arrive at the Iowa State Fairgrounds by 12:00 p.m. in order to park and run cable before 1:00 p.m.

General media parking: All media should enter the Iowa State Fairgrounds at Gate 11, located at 30 East 30th Street. Parking will be available in the Midway parking lot on the north side of Grand Avenue.

Cable run: 300 feet

Throw: 35 feet

Limited power and workspace will be available.

Media contact for logistical and planning purposes only:  Stephanie Temaat, 202.503.5360

 

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23 May 2012

'Nothing Compares' to the Iowa State Fair's Free Stage Line-up

By readMedia

DES MOINES, IA (05/22/2012)(readMedia)-- The 2012 Iowa State Fair free stage line-up is packed with a variety of entertainment and acts. From musical legends to Vaudeville comedy, "Nothing Compares" to this much entertainment, all free with gate admission. The Iowa State Fair runs August 9-19.

Boyz II Men holds the distinction as the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 60 million albums sold. For the past two decades, Boyz II Men have given fans a rich catalog of hits, like "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You." Most recently, Boyz II Men marked their 20th anniversary by releasing a landmark album, fittingly titled "Twenty."

Honored with 17 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, WAR is one of the greatest rock groups of all time. WAR's album, "The World Is A Ghetto," attained the number one spot on Billboard Magazine. Their classic songs include, "Low Rider," "Slippin' Into Darkness" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

The Fair brings theater to the stage with the Handsome Little Devils' Squirm Burpee Circus, an exhilarating, fantastical adventure featuring classic Vaudeville comedy, high-skill circus acts and a plot rooted in American melodrama.

Thirty-six acts, including more crowd-pleasing favorites like The Afters, Here Come the Mummies, and Hunter Hayes will be featured on the Fair's five free stages. Throughout the 11 days, Fairgoers can enjoy more than half a million dollars worth of free entertainment.

Discounted admission tickets are available now through August 8, with savings up to 30 percent. Purchase tickets now online at www.iowastatefair.org. The Iowa State Fair Ticket Office opens July 9 for walk-up orders.

A complete listing of event dates, times and locations follows:

Anderson Erickson Dairy Stage sponsored by KCCI NewsChannel 8

August 9-10 The Nadas (7 & 9 p.m.)

August 11 Brother Trucker (7 & 9 p.m.)

August 12-13 Handsome Little Devils (7 & 9 p.m.)

August 14 Brett Eldredge (8 p.m.)

August 15 Dia Frampton (8 p.m.)

August 16 Glen Templeton (8 p.m.)

August 17-18 The Blue Band (7 & 9 p.m.)

August 19 Here Come the Mummies (7:30 p.m.)

Anne and Bill Riley Stage sponsored by Pepsi

August 9 JJ Grey and Mofro (8 p.m.)

August 10 Action Item (8 p.m.)

August 11 Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation (7 p.m.)

August 12 The Afters (8 p.m.)

August 13-17 Hypnotist Ron Diamond (7 & 9 p.m.)

August 18 The Downtown Fiction (8 p.m.)

August 19 Street Corner Symphony (7 p.m.)

Budweiser Stage sponsored by ABC5

August 9-10 Bob Wootton (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 11-12 Elvis Impersonator Travis LeDoyt (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 13-14 Restless Heart (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 15-16 Strawberry Fields (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 17-18 Dave Mason Duo (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 19 WAR (8 p.m.)

Susan Knapp Amphitheater with media sponsor KDSM FOX 17

August 9 Steve Holy (8 p.m.)

August 10 Mockingbird Sun (8 p.m.)

August 11 Will Hoge (8 p.m.)

August 12 Blackberry Smoke (8 p.m.)

August 13-14 Hairball (7:30 & 9:30 p.m.)

August 15 Hunter Hayes (8 p.m.)

August 16 Country Gold featuring Leroy Van Dyke, Narvel Felts, Rex Allen Jr. and The Quebe Sisters (6 & 8:30 p.m.)

August 17 Marlee Scott (8 p.m.)

August 18 JT Hodges (8 p.m.)

August 19 Boyz II Men (7 p.m.)

Fun Forest Stage sponsored by Community Choice Credit Union

(All shows ASL interpreted)

August 9-19 Babaloo (11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m.)

August 9-19 Matt's Family Jam (11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.)

August 9-19 VSA Iowa Presents (various artists) (Noon, 2 & 4 p.m.)

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

* * *

23 May 2012

Animal Welfare Seminar Planned

By Mike Banks

Petfinder.com and the Petco Foundation will present "Adoption Options," a one-day animal welfare seminar, hosted by Iowa City Animal Services, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 12, at the Johnson County Extension Building, Iowa City.

Featured speakers include Steve Notaro, Ph.D., University of Illinois, whose topic will focus on adoption strategies, Karen Dashfield D.V.M., speaking on vaccination protocols, and noted dog trainer Sue Sternberg, who will demonstrate techniques for training shelter dogs for increased adoptability. Marketing pets online will also be addressed.  The seminar is open to anyone involved in animal welfare.
The cost is $20.00 ($10.00 for Petfinder.com members) and includes lunch, a Petfinder.com t-shirt, a gift from the Petco Foundation and educational materials. Space is limited.  For more information or to sign up, visit www.petfinder.com/adoptionoptions or email adoption options@petfinder.com.
Petfinder is the oldest and largest virtual animal shelter and represents over 13,500 animal welfare organizations nationwide and in Canada.
###
23 May 2012

National Small Business Week: Don't Let a Disaster Put You Out of Business, says IBHS

By Rick Martin

Tampa, Fla. (May 22, 2012) - During National Small Business Week (May 20 - 26) the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) urges  small business owners and managers to prepare for risks that could threaten their operations.

"Owning or managing a small business is no easy task," said Gail Moraton, IBHS' business resiliency manager. "It requires a great deal of hard work and dedication to sustain the business and help it grow. Unfortunately, this leaves little time to spend preparing for a catastrophe that could force a business to close its doors - permanently."

Preparedness starts with an assessment of the risks and vulnerabilities your business faces. Use IBHS' risk and vulnerability assessment tool to accomplish this task.

Once you have identified the risks facing your business, the next step is to seek out the appropriate protective and mitigation measures specific to each type of disaster that could result in business interruption. The IBHS Open for Business® toolkit is a free program that helps small to mid-sized businesses develop a business continuity and property protection plan.

Using the tools provided by Open for Business, business owners and managers can take the necessary steps to keep their doors open following a disaster, reduce their potential for loss, and recover more quickly should the worst occur. Regardless of what causes a business interruption, having a plan in place ahead of time could mean the difference between survival and closure.

"Businesses that have a business continuity plan in place -- and use it during and after a disaster strikes -- typically experience less damage, loss and downtime than businesses without a plan," said Moraton.

In addition to a business continuity plan, business owners also should have a property protection program in place, according to Chuck Miccolis, IBHS commercial lines engineer.

"A property protection program gives businesses the advantage of remaining open or re-opening as quickly as possible during a time of need for their  customers, employees, and often their own family members. This level of dependability and service following a major catastrophe enhances their reputation and adds to their value in the community," said Miccolis.

To help business owners implement a property protection plan, IBHS offers "12 New Year's Resolutions for Protecting Businesses in 2012." The free, downloadable guide identifies practical and affordable business protection resolutions that most business owners or managers can perform on their own or with limited outside assistance.

or via direct message on Twitter @jsalking.

for more information about how to make your property more resistant to a variety of disasters, big and small. Follow IBHS on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on

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23 May 2012

"Social Networking Etiquette"

By Rick Martin
May 24th 2012
Independent Scholars' Evenings:
"Social Networking Etiquette"
Is Social Networking Rudeness on the Rise?

By

Mark McLaughlin
Author
Public Relations Director at Results Marketing.

Mark McLaughlin will explore the transgressions of online etiquette in his
presentation. He will provide tips on how to avoid annoying or rude behavior. He
will also provide suggestions on how to nurture positive Internet relationships.
McLaughlin believes that annoying or inconsiderate social networking behavior
is, in part, a product of the fast times in which we live.
"Our culture is passing through a time of brisk technological development," he
says. "Modern life is changing at a frantic pace - and that's okay. But as the
world changes, sometimes people concentrate too much on their own objectives and
manners fly out the window - and that's not okay."
Because Facebook and other social networks are free, people sometimes feel that
"anything goes" -- but in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
"Abusing a free service is almost doubly inconsiderate," he said. "People should
be grateful for the service and treat its other users with respect.

Think about this social networking scenario: Suppose you are an author and some
of your Facebook friends are also authors. But since they write books in the
same genre as your works, they are also competitors. When those authors post ads
for their books on your Facebook page without asking you, are they being rude?

About the presenter :

Throughout his career, Mark McLaughlin has specialized in getting messages out
to business, industry and the general public. Over the years, his writings have
appeared in literally thousands of magazines, trade journals, business
publications, newspapers, anthologies, and websites.

When he is not at his desk at Results Marketing, writing advertising copy and
news releases, he is at home working on his latest book. His 20-plus books
include the supernatural suspense novel MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL (co-written
with Michael McCarty), the story collections MOTIVATIONAL SHRIEKER and PICKMAN'S
MOTEL, and the poetry collections THE GOSSAMER EYE (co-written with Rain Graves
and David Niall Wilson), PHANTASMAPEDIA, and PROFESSOR LaGUNGO'S EXOTIC
ARTIFACTS & ASSORTED MYSTIC COLLECTIBLES.

Independent Scholars' Evenings are Free and open to the public.

Please attend.
7.00 p.m.

The Moline Commercial Club
1530 Fifth Avenue. Moline. Illinois.

second floor of The Moline Club building . Above the Phoenix Fine Arts Gallery.

309-762-9202 for The Institute.
www.qcinstitute.org

light refreshments, wine and beverages are served.
doors open at 6.30

Independent Scholars' Evenings are sponsored by
The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd. a 501(c)3 at state and
federal level since 1996.

The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd.
www.qcinstitute.org
www.atthephoenix.com
www.themolinecommercialclub.com
www.themolineclub.com
23 May 2012

Governor Quinn Statement on House Vote to Abolish Legislative Scholarships

By Andrew Mason

SPRINGFIELD - May 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement regarding the Illinois House' concurrence with passage of HB 3810, which finally ends the troubled General Assembly tuition waiver program.

 

"Today is a good day for deserving students in financial need, and a good day for the taxpayers of Illinois.

 

"There is no place for a political scholarship program in Illinois. As I have repeatedly advocated - scholarships, paid for by Illinois taxpayers - should be awarded only to those with merit who are in true financial need. Abolishing this program is the right thing to do.

 

"Thank you Leader Christine Radogno for your leadership on this issue. Thank you President John Cullerton for your move to abolish this program. And thank you, Speaker Michael Madigan, Leader Tom Cross and members of the House and Senate who voted to do the right thing and pass this long-overdue ethics reform. We need more bipartisan progress like this in the next 10 days to get big things done for the people of Illinois.

 

"I look forward to signing this legislation and focusing resources on programs that help needy, deserving students attend college."

 

 

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23 May 2012

Defending Debt - Why It's Good

By Rick Martin
Money Coach Debunks Financial Planning Myths

When it comes to the best ways to use money, too many Americans operate under a key misconception, says investment adviser and financial planner Ike Ikokwu.

"Money is opportunity, and having a blind spot for maximizing investment can drastically reduce one's future options," says Ikokwu, author of Winning the Money Game: Separating the Myths from the Truth (www.winningthemoneygame.net).

That blind spot is debt, he says. Just as Americans have learned that are such things as good fats and good cholesterol, so too is there good debt for a prosperous financial future.

"The three most common ways people in this country get rich all involve using debt," he says. "They use it to launch businesses, invest in real estate, or pay for advanced degrees in order to become high-income earners."

Some myths born from the idea that all debt is bad include :

• Paying off your home mortgage provides financial security.
• A 15-year mortgage is always the quickest way to pay off your home.
• Putting money in your 401K or other qualified plan saves you taxes.
• The stock market is the only place to generate high, double-digit returns.

Admonishments to "stay out of debt" prevent people from gaining financial independence, Ikokwu says. Investing in education, a new career in another state or a new business may be more lucrative than paying down a mortgage.

"My definition of being 'debt-free' is to have enough money so that you can pay off your debt at any time - if you need to,'' he says. "But you don't necessarily want to do that. Good debt can save you money on taxes, increase your investment gains and allow you to take advantage of wealth-building opportunities. Bad debt, on the other hand, is like having a big hole in your money bucket."

Ikokwu developed a new personal financial plan after a period of successful investing imploded following the market crash in 2001. After filing for bankruptcy in 2003, he rebuilt his wealth - using his new plan - in five years. Today he is financially independent and his wealth secure.

"To a greater extent than many Americans suppose, money is plastic," he says. "That means you do not have to be rich in order to gain more wealth, and we do not have to follow old, outdated paths. We can all mold the money we have to a shape that yields better return."

About Ike Ikokwu

Ike Ikokwu, "The Financial Independence Coach," is a CPA, CFP and registered investment adviser. He holds a bachelor's in accounting and a master's in personal financial planning. Ikokwu is president and CEO of Winning the Money Game with Ike, a tax and financial advisory firm in Cumming, Ga. While working for "Big 6" tax firms and buying real estate, Ikokwu funneled his profits into domestic and international investments, only to realize too late that they were Ponzi schemes. Forced to declare personal bankruptcy in 2003, he rebuilt his wealth by changing his approach to finances. Tune into Atlanta's WGUN-1010 (AM) at 11 a.m. Saturdays for his weekly show.

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