Iowa's John Linquist selected to introduce new generation of youth to shooting sports

Sibley, Iowa - March 1, 2012 - Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce John Linquist, formerly Pheasants Forever's Regional Representative in western Iowa, as the organization's new FOREVER Shooting Sports National Coordinator. This position, made possible by a generous donation from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders of MidwayUSA, is aimed at introducing young people to shooting sports and increasing youth outdoor participation.

In 2011, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever launched its FOREVER Shooting Sports Program, which was made possible by a five-year pledge from the Potterfields. The program's intention is to develop a sustainable comprehensive shooting sports program that works closely with chapters and partners. In year one, the program doubled its initial goal and provided 17,000 youth participants the opportunity to experience the thrill of shooting sports.

Born and raised in Cherokee, Iowa, Linquist has served as Pheasants Forever's Regional Representative in western Iowa since 2006. He's been a shooting instructor for more than 30 years and began teaching hunter education when he was just 16 years old. "Pheasants Forever has always been a strong advocate for youth education, shooting sports and hunter retention," said Linquist, "I am confident we can dramatically increase the number of youth who are currently involved with shooting sports and continue the outdoor heritage that makes this country unique. Forever Shooting Sports programs are designed to instill an affinity with the outdoors and keep our youth excited about conservation well into the future."

"John's experience with the shooting sports and his passion to get kids outdoors makes him the perfect fit for this position," said Cheryl Riley, Pheasants Forever Vice President of Education & Outreach, "John knows our volunteers, and he will build a national network of community shooting programs supported by our chapters. We are so excited to have this opportunity to promote shooting sports as part of our No Child Left Indoors® initiative."

Besides the shooting sports, Linquist enjoys hunting upland and big game, fishing and archery. He lives in Sibley, Iowa, with his wife of 25 years, Darla, their two children Matthew and Suzanne, and Jake the Wonder Dog (his Gordon Setter). "I'm blessed to have my family's support in my career at Pheasants Forever," said Linquist, "Success is so much more obtainable when your family and friends are helping you reach your goals."

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have spent more than $10 million on youth conservation education since 1982. This has allowed the organization to host 45,530 youngsters in its youth mentor hunts, 58,575 in outdoor skills events and another 10,000 in youth conservation camps across the country.

For more information regarding Pheasants Forever's FOREVER Shooting Sports Program, please contact John Linquist, at (712) 754-3221 / Email John. For all other inquiries, please contact Rehan Nana, Pheasants Forever Public Relations Specialist at 651-209-4973 / Email Rehan.

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.

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St. James Lutheran Church, 3145 - 31st Ave, Rock Island, will be holding a Rummage & Bake Sale from 9am until 5pm on April 12th and 13th (Thursday and Friday) and from 9am until Noon on Saturday the 14th.

Clothing, household items, furniture, toys and games... something for everyone!  All are welcome.

Central Points Fine Arts is sponsoring a Poetry Contest which is free and is open to Davenport-area residents. There are fifty prizes totaling $5000, with a $1000 Grand Prize for the last poet standing.  Poems of 21 lines or fewer on any subject and in any style will be judged by the contest director, Dr. Joseph Cameron.

Entrants should include their name and address on the same page as the peom, and a winner's list will be sent to them.

Entries must be received by April 10, 2012, and can be submitted via mail to Free Poetry Contest, PO Box 3336, Central Point, OR 97502; or enter online at www.freecontest.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - According to the 2011 DaVinci Roofscapes' Homeowners Exterior Preferences Study, more than seven in ten homeowners* (71 percent) believe the outward appearance of their home reflects their personality. Those people who identify their personalities closest to their home's exterior live in the Midwest, while those with the least connection are residents of the Northeast.

Homeowners who closely align their home's exterior with their own personality cited a variety of reasons for the similarity, including:

-       "It's bold and different like me."

-       "Having personally designed my home I feel it reflects my likes and preferences."

-       "I am a contemporary person; the house is contemporary."

-       "It too is old, but really stylish."

-       "It looks simple and unpretentious ... which is how I think of myself."

-       "The exterior of my home is conservative in appearance, which is the same as my personality."

Homeowners also indicated in the study that the colors of their home's exterior match up

and reflect their personalities, citing:

-       "I am a traditionalist. I think the colors of my house are very traditional."

-       "The (house) color and trim was chosen by me and is unique to my personality."

-       "I have chosen colors (for my home's exterior) that are traditional and dramatic rather than the drab beige people consider safe."

"This part of the study tells us that a majority of homeowners see a relationship between their personalities and their home exteriors," says Ray Rosewall, CEO and president of DaVinci Roofscapes. "This helps us understand why roofing color options are important to homeowners. They see their home's exterior --- including the colors on the exterior --- as a positive reflection of who they are. This explains why we've seen soaring sales of personalized color configurations of our roofing products in the past several years and an overall increase in color blends by our customers. People are sharing their personality through their home's exterior!"

The nationwide consumer study, conducted online by Harris Interactive^©, also indicates that homeowners in the Midwest are the most likely to feel connected to the outward appearance of their home (80 percent), followed by the South at 73 percent and the West at 71 percent. Homeowners in the Northeast feel the least amount of personality connection (65 percent) with their home's exterior.

"Homeowners in the study also indicated that when house hunting or designing their own homes, the most attention-grabbing feature of the exterior was the style of the home, followed by how the home looked on the property," says Rosewall. "We believe this information firmly links a homeowner's personality with a specific style home. As opposed to buying a house simply because it's a 'good deal' or in a good location, people seek out the style of home that most reflects how they view themselves and want others to see them."

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.

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