Casting Crowns with Matthew West, Royal Tailor and Lindsay McCaul

Where: iWireless Center in Moline, IL
When: March 23, 2012
Starts: 7:00PM
Doors Open: 6:00PM

Tickets On Sale: Now

Ticket Prices:
Advance - $24.00
Artist Circle - $40.00
Groups of 10+ - $18.00
Advance (limited number) - $15.00

Group Sales: Groups of 10 or more receive 1 free ticket! Call 309-277-1356 or groupsales@iwirelesscenter.com for details.

Phone Sales: 800-745-3000

Mail Order Tickets:
Make checks payable and mail to:

i wireless Center, Attn: Box Office, 1201 River Dr., Moline, IL 61265.
Include a $3 per order handling fee and a $2.50 per ticket facility fee.

Buy Tickets Online:

You Probably Know What's In Your Kids' Peanut Butter, But Do You
Know What's In Their Toothpaste?

Most parents are careful about learning what's in the stuff their kids eat and drink. They avoid artificial dyes, preservatives, chemicals, and sweeteners. Yet ask just about any of those same folks if they have ever looked at what is in their toothpaste and you'll likely get blank stares.

Considering the fact that children - and adults -- ingest toothpaste twice a day every day, it's probably the most frequent thing we put in our mouths other than water or other beverages. And still, most people have never looked at what is in their toothpaste.

Dentist and national oral health care expert Harold Katz, (www.therabreath.com), suggests that needs to change. Many ingredients in some commercial toothpastes are of questionable benefit and some are just plain bad for you.

Consumers have become increasingly aware of the hidden toxins in foods, beverages and eating and drinking utensils, he says. They avoid high fat and high sodium foods, sulfates in their personal care products, aerosol sprays, and toxic chemicals in their household cleaners.

"They're taking no chances, and rightfully so. Remember the rush to replace plastic baby bottles with glass ones after the BPA scare in 2008?" he asked.

However there has been a surprising lack of attention to toothpaste, Katz says. The dentist suggests that all consumers - but especially parents - take the time to read their toothpaste tubes today. Effects of potentially unhealthy toothpaste ingredients are multiplied in the smaller bodies of children.

Here are a few ingredients to stay away from:

• FD&C blue dye No. 2: This commonly used toothpaste dye is one of several on the list of additives to avoid, maintained by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It's said to be linked to learning, behavioral and health problems, severe allergic reactions, and headaches, among other problems.

• Sodium lauryl sulfate: The American College of Toxicology reports this ingredient in cosmetics and industrial cleaning agents can cause skin corrosion and irritation. Doses of .8 to 110 grams/kilogram in lab rats caused depression, labored breathing, diarrhea and death in 4 out of 20 animals.

• Triclosan: An anti-microbial ingredient, the federal Environmental Protection Agency lists triclosan as a pesticide and regulates its use in over-the-counter toothpastes and hand soaps. According to the agency's fact sheet, "Studies on the thyroid and estrogen effects led EPA to determine that more research on the potential health consequences of endocrine effects of triclosan is warranted. ... Because of the amount of research being planned and currently in progress, it will undertake another comprehensive review of triclosan beginning in 2013."

• Saccharin and aspartame: Both of these artificial sweeteners are on the Center for Science in the Public Interest's list of additives to avoid.

Toothpaste buyers should look for natural ingredients, such as aloe vera juice, which cleans and soothes teeth and gums and helps fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's clinical, peer-reviewed journal. Aloe vera tooth gel is said to kill disease-causing bacteria in the mouth, Katz says.

Also, avoid all toothpastes that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a harsh detergent that has been linked to canker sores. Toothpastes that are free of sulfates include Weleda's Salt Toothpaste, TheraBreath and Tom's of Maine.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day and get children into the habit from a young age, Katz says. You'll have fresh breath, avoid painful dental problems, and be far more likely to have your teeth in your mouth when you go to sleep at night as you age.

Just be sure to check what's in your family's toothpaste and avoid buying anything with problematic ingredients. And when it comes to brushing kids teeth use a pea-sized drop of paste on the brush - no more - and oversee brushing to ensure young children don't swallow their toothpaste, says Dr Katz.

About Dr. Harold Katz

Dr. Harold Katz received his degree in bacteriology from UCLA and is the founder of The California Breath Clinics and author of The Bad Breath Bible. He has been featured on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "Early Show" and "The View" with Barbara Walters and countless other TV shows. Dr. Katz's formulated the TheraBreath oral care program in 1994 and has continued to update products in order to make use of the most effective and most natural ingredients.

Sen. Chuck Grassley today made the following comment on the Senate majority leader's decision to proceed to the House of Representatives-passed version of an anti-congressional insider trading bill instead of the Senate-passed version.  The Senate-passed version contains a provision offered by Grassley requiring the growing political intelligence industry, which sells information to Wall Street, to register in the interest of public disclosure, as lobbyists have been required to do for many years.

"The majority leader is choosing the path that shuts out political intelligence registration.  His reasoning for choosing this direction is specious.  The Senate passed this legislation weeks ago, and the majority leader just now says he doesn't have time to defend the Senate's position.  The Senate gave 60 votes to the political intelligence provision.  The broader bill containing the provision received a vote of 96 to 3 in the Senate.  The majority leader ignored all of this.  His decision is a real blow for good government and transparency.  It's a victory for Wall Street and a defeat for the American people.  It's a victory for the hedge funds and big banks that like the secrecy of the status quo."

A Washington Post news story said the Grassley political intelligence amendment, combined with another amendment, "transformed the (insider trading) bill into the most sweeping ethics legislation Congress had considered since 2007."

The Phoenix Art Gallery in Moline, IL has had the privilege of exhibiting nationally and internationally known artist Robert Kameczura since November 2011. On March 23, 2012 a closing reception for the artist will be held from 7 PM until Midnight at the Gallery which is located at 1530 5th Ave in Moline, IL. The artist will be available to discuss his artworks as well as personally sign his prints and paintings. Please join us in celebrating Robert Kameczura's work with cocktails, snacks, and music. This is your chance to meet the artist, hear his fascinating stories, as well as buy directly from the artist limited prints and paintings at specially discounted prices.

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Duluth, Minn. - Online voters have narrowed maurices Main Street Model Search from more than 1,400 contestants to the top 100 who will advance to the next phase of the contest.

These 100 women will compete to be among 12 finalists chosen to model for maurices, a national young women's clothing retailer, in upcoming fall, holiday and spring campaigns. The winners will receive a photo shoot at an iconic fashion shoot destination and national exposure at maurices locations, www.maurices.com, mailers and social media. They will also be awarded a $1,500 maurices gift card and a $7,500 charitable makeover for a nonprofit in their hometowns.

People can visit www.mauricesmainstreetmodel.com to view the top 100 contestants' profiles.

"We are very pleased with the voter turnout for the second year of maurices Main Street Model Search. With more than 128,800 voters, participation was up almost three-fold from last year," said Brad Hartmann, maurices vice president of marketing. "We hope the selected models are as excited as we are to move on to the next stage of our contest."

Each of the top 100 contestants will create a video about why they should be a maurices Main Street Model. maurices will then choose 20 of these women to attend a casting call in Minneapolis, Minn., the week of April 16. A judging panel from maurices, including a celebrity judge and stylist Christopher Straub from Lifetime's "Project Runway," will select the 12 winners, who will be announced on April 23.

For more information, visit maurices.com, facebook.com/maurices or mauricesmainstreetmodel.com.


maurices Main Street Model Search 2012 Timeline

Video submission: March 20 - 27
The top 100 contestants create and submit videos that about why they should be a maurices Main Street Model.

Introducing the top 20: April 2
Judging panel reveals the top 20 contestants.

Casting call: Week of April 16
Top 20 finalists are brought to Minneapolis, Minn., for a casting call with a panel of judges that includes Christopher Straub from Season Six of Lifetime's "Project Runway."

And the winners are: April 23
maurices will introduce the 12 winners of maurices Main Street Model Search 2012.


About maurices
maurices, a division of Ascena Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ - ASNA), is the leading hometown specialty store and authority for the savvy, fashion-conscious girl with a twenty-something attitude. Today, maurices operates 800 stores in 44 states. maurices stands for fashion, quality, value and customer service. Offering sizes 1-26 in select stores and online, our styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size. For store information and to shop online, visit maurices.com.

 

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MOLINE, ILLINOIS - Tune in Fridays at 7 pm when WQPT brings you "Artists in Profile," a new production that takes a look at the creative process in the words of visual and performance artists.

"Last year the Illinois Arts Council contacted us to offer production assistance for a program that highlighted the accomplishments of our areas artists.  After talking with our producer, Lora Adams, we began pre-production on 'Artists in Profile' and taped three hour long performances in late October 2011," said Rick Best, General Manager for WQPT.  "Being able to showcase the creativity of both visual and performance artists has been a wonderful addition to our local programming."

Michael Romkey and The Bucktown Revue are featured in the first half hour episode that airs March 23 at 7 pm. Upcoming episodes feature Jason Platt (cartoonist), Erin Freund (harpist) and Susan Holgersson (set designer) on March 30th; Tristan Tapscott (actor/producer), Ellis Kell (musician), and Kate Askegaard (visual artist) on April 6; The Westbrook Singers on April 13; Catie Osborn (smash poetry), Bill Gustafson (muralist) and Kelly and Tammy Rundle (filmmakers) on April 20th.  "Pages from a Young Girls Life" a ballet from Ballet Quad Cities portrays the life of Anne Frank and was choreographed in 2005 by Johanna Jakhelln. The special hour long program will air on April 27.

The series is funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Three one hour music specials have also been taped and aired on WQPT as a result of the grant. The first was a Christmas concert performed by The Westbrook Singers in December of 2011 and in March 2012 The Westbrook Singers also appeared in an hour long gospel music special along with an hour featuring The Bucktown Revue.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

Cedar Rapids, IA- On Thursday, July 26, 2012 the community of Cedar Rapids and the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa™ will host Counting Crows in concert.

Registered RAGBRAI riders will receive free admission to this concert and special event celebrating 40 years of Iowa, in downtown Cedar Rapids. Residents of Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities are invited to attend this special evening and tickets will go on sale mid-April. Watch www.cedarrapisdragbrai.com and www.ragbrai.com for details.

"We are excited to celebrate 40 years with Iowans and the communities of Iowa who are the true backbone of this ride," said T.J. Juskiewicz, RAGBRAI Director. "We look forward to working with the community of Cedar Rapids to host this event on July 26."

COUNTING CROWS hails from the San Francisco Bay area and consist of Adam Duritz (vocals), David Bryson (guitar), Charles Gillingham (keyboards), Dan Vickrey (guitar), Jim Bogios (drums), and Millard Powers (bass). COUNTING CROWS success dates back to their 1993 debut release August and Everything After and the hit single "Mr. Jones." The band recently hit #1 with the song "Accidentally In Love," which was featured on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, as well as nominations in 2005 for a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award for the track. COUNTING CROWS has sold over 20 million records worldwide. Counting Crows are releasing a new album Underwater Sunshine in April.

Des Moines Register Media owns and produces RAGBRAI, a trek across Iowa that's the world's oldest, largest and longest annual bicycle ride. RAGBRAI riders will overnight in Sioux Center, Cherokee, Lake View, Webster City, Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids, Anamosa and Clinton this year.

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Ames, Iowa - The following area students have achieved academic ranking in the top 2 percent of students in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University:

Kimberly Booe, Bettendorf; Matthew Burmeister, Brett Ebert, Austin Laugen, and Kurt Lundeen all of Davenport.

The following area students have achieved academic ranking in the top 2 percent of students in the College of Design at Iowa State University:

Heather Bennett of Davenport.

The following area students have achieved academic ranking in the top 2 percent of students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University:

Kelly Hering, Bettendorf and Heather Bennett of Davenport.

The following area students have achieved academic ranking in the top 2 percent of students in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University:

Stephanie Blaser, Kaitlin Bohn, Abigail Kline, and Kelly Wagner of Bettendorf; Vanessa McNeal and Sally Stringham of Davenport.

What: Tutu Fabulous Take Two!

Who: Ballet Quad Cities

Where: The Gold Room in the Hotel Blackhawk. 200 E 3rd St. Davenport, IAOF

When: March 23rd 6-9pm 

Ticket Prices: $45 in advance, $50 at door.

How: Call 786-3779 to reserve your tickets or pay at door.

Don't miss this way "tutu" much fun event! Wine Tasting, Fashion and Dancing by the Professional Dancers of Ballet Quad Cities, and a silent auction to raise funds and awareness for our health and wellness programs that benefit Quad Cities kids.

This event sold out fast last year, so call to reserve your tickets now!

For more information, visit www.balletquadcities.com or call 309-786-3779.
Research Shows 90% Do Not

What customers value most changes constantly, and the pace of change has increased exponentially with the economic recession, says marketing/management expert and best-selling author Jaynie L. Smith.

"The businesses who become relevant by addressing what customers really value at any given time will be the first ones out of the recession," says Smith, whose newest book, Relevant Selling (www.smartadvantage.com), is now available.

"One year ago, people were looking for financial stability in companies they were purchasing from because of all of the business closings," she says, citing surveys conducted by her company, Smart Advantage, Inc. "Now, on-time delivery outranks that because so many businesses cut back their inventory during the worst of the recession. With demand increasing, customers have more difficulty getting what they want on time."

Smith's company analyzed more than 150 customer surveys to learn why customers buy particular products or services from particular companies. It's an essential practice for any business owner during any economic cycle, Smith says, but most don't do it. Her analysis of 10 years of double-blind customer market research for more than 100 businesses revealed that, 90 percent of the time, most businesses do not know their customers' top values. They are often shocked to learn what is at the top of the customers' value list.

Smith offers these tips for getting to know your customers - and potential customers - so you can deliver what they want and adjust your sales and marketing message to become more relevant.

• Customers are usually looking for "how" things are sold, not "what." For most products, there are any number of suppliers. If someone wants to buy a camera, a doorknob, a car, they can drive to the nearest store or order from the first company that pops up on Google. But they don't. Why? Because there's something else they value more than the product itself. It may be product durability, the company's reputation for customer service, or safety features. "If you don't value what you bring to the customer, they won't value it either," is Smith's mantra.  Very few companies know how to effectively articulate what differentiates them, so price often becomes the tiebreaker.

• Understand that existing customers and prospects usually have different values. Smith's company research analysis shows that 70 percent of the time, customers and prospective customers differ in what they most value. When that happens, your message to customers should be different than your message to prospects.  Very few companies make this distinction in sales and marketing messaging. Existing customers may have come to depend on your top-notch help desk. It's what they've grown to value most about your company. Prospective customers haven't yet used your help desk so they don't know how essential this benefit is yet.

• Use what you learn. If you find customers most value speedy responses when they have a problem, and your customer service department is slow, then fix customer service. Make sure to tell the customer service employees that customers have rated fast response time as their top priority. When you've got stats you can brag about - brag away: "98 percent of customer calls are returned within 30 minutes; 2 percent within 1 hour." Now you've used that information in two valuable ways: to make your company more relevant to customers, and to let customers know you've got what they want.

• Invest in disciplined customer research. Research data collection costs have gone down 30 to 35 percent in the past few years and can now be affordable to smaller companies.  Double-blind customer market research is the gold standard and well worth the expense, but it's not feasible for all companies. However, even a small investment in research can reap huge returns. Some less expensive and free alternatives to find out what your customers want include sharing the expense with an industry association; partnering with an organization that needs the same information or a peer that doesn't compete with you; hiring a college intern; or creating an online survey using a free basic service, such as Survey Monkey.

About Jaynie L. Smith

Jaynie L. Smith is CEO of Smart Advantage, Inc., a marketing/management consultancy whose clients range from mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies. She consults nationally and internationally with CEOs and executives to help them define their companies' competitive advantages.  Her first book, "Creating Competitive Advantage" (Doubleday Currency; 2006), is in its 11th printing and is consistently ranked in the top 1-2 percent on Amazon.com for marketing and management books. She holds undergraduate and master's degrees from the New York Institute of Technology.

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