The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents its annual Fundraiser on Saturday May 12 at Martinis on the Rock (4619 - 34^th Street, Rock Island, just south of Blackhawk Road). Admission is $20, which includes food and entry into drawings for door prizes.  The party, which includes a silent auction, begins at 6:00 p.m., with the music starting at 7:00 p.m.  All proceeds will benefit the 2012 Blues Festival, to be held June 29-July 1 at Davenport's LeClaire Park.

Music will be provided by three bands who have won the Iowa Blues Challenge and represented the state of Iowa at the annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN.  The Steady Rollin' Blues Band, The Candymakers, and The Mercury Brothers will each take the stage in Martinis' brand new outdoor music pavilion, situated in back with a stunning view of the scenic Rock River.  After the three sets, the MVBS will host a jam session.

The theme for this Fundraiser is Beale Street, the storied avenue in Memphis where the blues was born and raised, and where Iowa Blues Challenge winners have pursued blues fame and fortune at the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge.  It's fitting that the MVBS bring Beale Street to the Quad-Cities, considering that since 2000, 10 of the 12 Iowa Blues Challenge winners have been from the Quad-Cities.

Over the years, local blues fans and MVBS members could always be counted on to have a strong presence at the annual International Blues Challenge on Beale Street in Memphis, arguably the greatest concentration of live blues in the world, and always the guarantee of seeing a great band?usually from the QCA?representing  the State of Iowa and making us proud.

On May 12, $20 will get you in the door, a ticket for door prizes and a trip through the buffet line.  In addition, MVBS will be featuring prize drawings, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction of valuable merchandise and gift baskets donated by area businesses and organizations, as well as rare blues memorabilia from the MVBS archives.

Along with our sponsors, donors, volunteers, members and supporters, the non-profit MVBS depends heavily on fundraisers such as this to keep our musical standards as high, and our Festival admission prices as ridiculously low, as they've been in the past.

Some say the '60s hippies are going back to the commune. Others call the growing number of female Baby Boomers rooming together "'The Golden Girls' phenomenon."

Author Martha Nelson, who at 65 is on the leading edge of a tsunami of retiring Boomers, says it's really all about choosing the company of friends.

"As a group, we've been empowered more than past generations of women," says Nelson, whose debut novel, Black Chokeberry (www.BlackChokeberryTheBook.com), is the story of three disparate older women who unexpectedly end up sharing a home. "We're more worldly, stronger, financially savvy and healthier than our ancestors - through no fault of their own - and we know what we want."

Increasingly, what they want is to actively age with the camaraderie, laughter, understanding and support of other women who share their ideas of healthy lifestyles, good food from their own gardens, green living, and myriad activities on a moment's notice.

In 2010, 480,000 Baby Boom women lived with a least one unrelated female, according to an AARP analysis. The growing number of U.S. HomeShare programs, which help connect people interested in sharing a house, say their numbers have been steadily rising since the economy belly-flopped.

"This concept is really trending on the East and West Coasts and is very big in Europe," says Ryan Cowmeadow, vice president of the National Shared Housing Resource Center, an all-volunteer clearinghouse of HomeShare programs.

"Our numbers are up about 15 percent since 2007, and about 75 percent of applicants are female," he says.

"We're hoping to see a real surge with the Boomers entering retirement age now. They're the ones who didn't take 'no' for an answer. Home-sharing just makes sense."

Nelson notes that there are several reasons why women more than men are gravitating to communal living as an alternative lifestyle.

"Women typically live longer than men, and men are more likely to remarry quickly after a divorce or the death of a spouse," she says.

"And fundamentally I think it's as much about the special bonds women share. We form these wonderful, supportive, 'tell the truth' friendships, which survive the demands of husbands, children and careers. Whether living alone or with a spouse or partner, women cling to their friendships. When a woman considers living alone as she ages, it's a natural progression to seek the company of her best friends."

That's what happened to Nelson, a former journalist and educator, whose long marriage ended in divorce when she was in her 50s. In regaining her balance as a single woman, she sought time alone to heal, then turned to her trusted friends as she stepped back into life. Her happiest moments came from long conversations over coffee, laughter over meals and movies, and, occasionally, indulgent tears she felt safe to shed.

"I came to fully understand the importance of women friends in my life," she says. "They are the gold standard and as we age, they are critical to happiness, regardless if one is married or in a committed relationship."

The movement for cohousing - where residents have private living spaces but share common areas, such as dining rooms, and tasks, such as cooking -- started in Denmark and is catching on in the United States. There are model programs in Boulder, Colo., and other communities, including three cohousing projects being planned in the greater Nashville area, where Nelson lives.

Practical considerations of creating close living communities include health and safety, care in times of an accident or medical emergency, and saving money, a concern for many women who find themselves single or widowed after long marriages, Nelson says.

But Boomers are renowned for demanding more than creature comforts from life, she adds.

"We want to be happy; we're healthy, active and we want to enjoy ourselves as we age. We want to travel, go to a movie with a neighbor or housemate, cook a meal, share a garden, and feel that we are contributing to our communities.

"What started with Rosie the Riveter has brought us to this," says Nelson who is happily married again, but fascinated by the new movement of cohousing.

"We're strong women and we can choose to live the way we want as we get older. Very often, that will mean with other women in close knit communities."

About Martha Nelson

Martha Nelson is an award-winning former investigative reporter, columnist and editor at two New York newspapers. She also is a former educational and nonprofit executive, consultant, and chef. She retired in 2010 and settled in to write Black Chokeberry, a coming-of-age novel about three women confronting crisis and change on the other side of 50.

Will allow for runway and taxiway rehabilitation

Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Dave Loebsack (IA-02) announced today that the Eastern Iowa Airport will receive a total of $2,644,904 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration.  This funding will be used to rehabilitate and upgrade the runway and taxiway.

"This is great news for Eastern Iowa. The grant money will help the Eastern Iowa Airport make critical infrastructure improvements ensuring the safety of passengers and employees," Braley said. "Whether traveling for business or family vacation, Iowans rely on their community airports to be safe, secure and reliable. It's critical we give Iowa's airports the tools they need to provide the safest and most efficient service to their customers."

"The Eastern Iowa Airport is a hub for travel, commerce and economic growth in the Corridor," said Loebsack. "I am pleased these funds will help improve the airport and ensure they continue to allow for safe and efficient travel."

Specifically, the funds will be used for:

Runway rehabilitation - $1,500,000

Taxiway rehabilitation - $1,144,904

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today urged the Iowa Department of Transportation to continue a plan for construction on the Iowa side of the I-74 bridge in the Quad Cities in light of the Illinois Department of Transportation's reported decision to not include this necessary project on their list of priorities. Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) is also sending a similar letter to the Illinois DOT.

"Having met and talked with many community leaders, businesses owners, and residents of the Quad Cities, I know that continued delay of this project will have significant negative effects on productivity, quality of life, and economic development for the region," wrote Loebsack.  "I am disappointed by this development and know this project is a priority for the Quad Cities.  I again respectfully urge you to work to find a way to ensure I-74 Bridge construction can move forward at a minimum on the Iowa side and work with ILDOT to express the importance of this project."

Previously, Loebsack has met with representatives from the Iowa DOT about the importance of the I-74 bridge.  He has also expressed the need to replace the bridge with the Secretary of Transportation, the Speaker of the House and has urged the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to take action.

A copy of the letter can be seen here.