What: Bowling to Banish Bullies

Who: Ballet Quad Cities

When: February 4th 6pm to10:30pm

Where: Blackhawk Bowl and Martini Lounge at The Hotel Blackhawk

200 E. 3rd Street Davenport, IA 52801

Ticket Prices: $10 for spectators at door,      $40 per person - $240 per team

Ticket Purchase: Send a check to Ballet Quad Cities 613 17^th Street Rock Island, IL 61201. Or purchase your tickets online through PayPal at www.ballequadcities.com

Join Ballet Quad Cities for another "way tutu" much fun event to raise dollars for our ongoing anti-bullying program that we take to area schools.
Game, shoes, heavy appetizers and 2 drink tickets are included. Everyone will take home a "bowling bag" filled with certificates and goodies.

Visit our website for a registration form. www.balletquadcities.com

For more information call 309-786-3779

WASHINGTON–The National Park Service will help local communities implement more than 200 natural resource and recreational projects under the agency's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today.

Communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are working in partnership with the National Park Service.

This year, in Iowa, RTCA is working with:

·        Wapello County on the American Gothic Regional Trail

·        City of Des Moines on the Central Iowa Greenways Initiative

·        City of Cherokee, Iowa on the Cherokee Trails and Riverfront Development

·        Fayette County Trails on the Fayette County Trails

·        Decatur County Conservation on the Grand River Water Trail

·        Louisa County Conservation Board on the Louisa County Trail

·        Jones County Conservation and the City of Monticello on the Maquoketa River Restoration Mon Maq Dam Alteration

·        Carroll County Conservation on the Middle Raccoon River Water Trail

·        Mississippi River Trail, Inc. on the Mississippi River Connections Collaborative: Mississippi River Trail

·        Pottawattamie County Conservation on the Pottawattamie County Trail

·        Nishna Valley Trails Association on the T-Bone Trail

·        Whiterock Conservancy Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the Whiterock Conservancy Soft Trail Project

To read more about these projects, visit:

http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/whatwedo/projects/IA.pdf

To see how RTCA is assisting communities nationwide, visit: http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/whatwedo/projects_by_state.html

"One of the major goals of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative is to reconnect Americans to nature by expanding recreational opportunities," Salazar said. "Through the RTCA program, the National Park Service will provide expertise and assistance to local communities that are building trails and undertaking other conservation and recreation projects."

Under the RTCA program, the National Park Service helps communities and neighborhoods to preserve valuable open spaces, revitalize nearby rivers, and develop trail and greenway networks. This year's projects were selected from the most competitive field of requests ever received by the agency.

Projects are locally conceived and initiated, with RTCA staff supporting community based recreation and conservation leaders. Each year, RTCA project partnerships contribute to the construction of 1,700 miles of trail, conservation of nearly 1,000 miles of river, and protection of more than 50,000 acres of open space.

More than 20 of the projects included in the RTCA project announcement today also were highlighted in the America's Great Outdoors 50-State report released by Secretary Salazar in November. The report listed more than 100 high-priority projects representing what states believe are among the best investments in the nation to support a healthy, active population, conserve wildlife and working lands, and create travel, tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs across the country. Interior is working closely with states and local communities to advance these priority projects as quickly as possible.

For more information on the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program, please visit http://www.nps.gov/rtca.

140-year-old Retailer Will Anchor Perimeter Mall in North Atlanta;

Move Continues Company's Strategic Expansion Throughout the Southeast

DAVENPORT, Iowa - January 11, 2012 - Von Maur Department Stores announced today its plans to open a 234,000 square foot store at Atlanta's Perimeter Mall in November 2012.  The store will be the Company's second location in Georgia and will become one of Von Maur's largest stores in the country.

Known for its outstanding selection of brand name and specialty apparel, shoes, accessories and gifts, the store will feature products from leading brands such as Eileen Fisher, Free People, Coach, Joe's Jeans and Tommy Bahama, among many others.  Located at the mall's former Bloomingdales' location, the three level Von Maur store will be completely renovated in order to feature the Company's signature residential ambiance, complete with antiques, original artwork, open-floor plan and music from the store's grand piano. It is expected that the store will eventually employ 275-325 full-time and part-time associates, the majority of which will be full-time.

Today's announcement marks the continuation of the family-owned Company's strategic growth, targeting select markets within and beyond its traditional Midwestern roots. Von Maur opened its first Southeast location at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Ga., in November 2011, and has announced plans to open additional stores in Hoover, Ala., and Victor, N.Y., in Fall 2013.

"We're thrilled to become a part of the successful Perimeter Mall, and look forward to furthering our reputation as a retailer of choice for shoppers throughout Greater Atlanta and beyond," said Jim von Maur, president of Von Maur.

In addition to its selection of popular brands and merchandise, Von Maur is also widely-regarded for its superior customer service, including an interest-free charge card, liberal return policy, free gift wrapping and shipping services. The Company also offers its associates above-market wages, excellent benefits and a positive, professional work environment.

About Von Maur

Von Maur was founded nearly 140 years ago in downtown Davenport, Iowa. The Company currently operates 27 stores in 11 states. The Company also runs a successful online business at vonmaur.com, in addition to a new chain of women's specialty stores under the nameplate DRY GOODS.  For more information, please visit www.vonmaur.com.

Pregnant women are trying to be healthier.  Many take all the right steps to promote the birth of a healthy baby, including eating right, taking vitamins and eliminating alcohol and nicotine from their lives.

Unfortunately, all those efforts may be for naught if they are still being exposed to unseen chemicals in their daily lives. Dr. Doris Rapp, an experienced physician and expert on all the hidden household and environmental hazards, wants women to know about the many insidious and dangerous threats to their unborn babies. The harmful exposures can cause serious harm and damaging birth defects to babies in the womb, and they are right under our noses.

"One of the most dangerous groups of chemicals to pregnant women is known as PCBs," said Rapp, author of 32 Tips That Could Save Your Life (www.dorisrappmd.com). "PCB stands for polychlorinated biphenyls, and they are commonly used in industrial pesticides. While they may not be in your house, they may exist in your office, your water or your food, especially if you live near the Great Lakes or consume seafood caught there. These chemicals pass through the placenta into the unborn, and some exposures have been known to cause devastating birth defects.  These chemicals have also been found in the breast milk of women."

According to Rapp, some of the dangers of these pesticides include, but are not limited to:

• Lower birth weight
• Smaller head size and developmental delays
• Movement, mental, and behavioral problems
• Increased or decreased activity levels
• Slowed thought processing and "less bright" appearance
• Lower reaction times
• Compromised nervous systems

"Moreover, a group of pesticides known as organophosphates also poses a high risk for pregnant women," Rapp added.

"These include Bisphenol-A and phthalates," she said. "They are derived from World War II nerve agents and are highly toxic. Even at low levels, organophosphates can be toxic to the developing brain, and studies show that they can affect brain and reproductive development in unborn animals. While most pesticides categorized as organophosphates have been banned for household use, they are still permitted for commercial use, including in fumigation for mosquitoes.  Malathion, a common toxic organophosphate, is still allowed for use as an industrial and household insecticide.  In the US, approximately 15 million pounds of Malathion are used each year by the government, as well as by businesses and homeowners."

Her advice for women is to do all they can to avoid contact with these chemicals, starting before conception.

"Stay as far away as possible from pesticide-treated areas," Rapp said. "Do not eat pesticide-laden food or any fish from the Great Lakes. Try to eat only organic foods. Further, if your job requires you to be in contact with any chemicals or pesticides, insist that other tasks be given to you for the duration of your pregnancy. Half the battle is knowing these dangers exist, but the other half is being informed and conscientious enough to be able to avoid contact with these dangerous and toxic agents."

About Doris Rapp, M.D.

Dr. Rapp is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric allergy and environmental medicine. She was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo until she moved in January 1996 to Phoenix. She practiced traditional allergy for 18 years and then, in 1975, began incorporating the principles of environmental medicine into her pediatric allergy practice. She is a certified specialist in environmental medicine. She has published numerous medical articles, authored chapters in medical texts and written many informative and "how-to" books and booklets about allergy for the public. She has also produced numerous educational videos and audiotapes for the public, educators and physicians.