CHICAGO - January 1, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn is calling on graduating high school seniors to apply for an opportunity to attend the National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) in West Virginia this summer.
Students from across Illinois are encouraged to apply for a full scholarship to the month-long NYSC program. Two students will be selected as official Illinois delegates, allowing them to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, regardless of financial status.
"I want to encourage young people to learn the value of education - and particularly the sciences - not just during their time in school, but all throughout their lives," said Governor Quinn. "A good education is the foundation for a good job, and good jobs are the foundation of a productive, healthy and vibrant society."
The NYSC program gathers outstanding science students from all 50 states to participate in a month-long academic retreat. Lectures and hands-on research projects are presented by scientists from a wide variety of scientific fields. Delegates are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members.  Delegates also present seminars covering their own areas of research and interest.
The National Youth Science Camp was first held in 1963, established in the Monongahela National Forest in the mountains of West Virginia. With support from the National Youth Science Foundation, the State of West Virginia and corporate sponsors, each Governor can select two graduating high school students for an all-expenses paid scholarship to attend the NYSC.
In Illinois, representatives from the Governor's Office and the Illinois State Board of Education will review applications from high school students who: are eligible to graduate before June 30, 2011; have shown exceptional achievement in the math or science fields; have shown leadership in school and community activities; have demonstrated skills outside of the sciences and academic pursuits and those who have demonstrated a curiosity and eagerness to explore many and varied topics.
Students who would like to be considered for this opportunity should complete the application and return it to: Illinois State Board of Education, Attn: Gil Downey, NYSC Selection Coordinator, 100 North First Street, C-215, Springfield, Illinois 62777-0001 or via email at gov.youthsciencecamp@illinois.. More information about the camp and electronic copies of the application can be found at http://www.nysc.org. For a paper copy of the application, or questions, please call 217-557-7323.
Applications are due January 28, 2011. The camp will run Thursday, June 30 through Sunday, July 24, 2011.
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Tracks: The Railroad in Photographs from the George Eastman House Collection makes its way to the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, on January 15th, 2011. Organized by the George Eastman House, Tracks covers 160 years of railroad history in photography. Both the railway and photography developed concurrently at the beginning of the 19th century and shared similar impressions on people's view of previously unseen landscapes. These inventions permitted, for the first time, a person's ability to be transported, both visually and physically, to worlds they had only previously imagined. Both forever changed the way the world was perceived.

Tracks offers the opportunity to learn about the history of the railroad and to visualize its impact on our country's development. The exhibition contains some of the earliest photographs of trains and railway scenes up through the end of the 20th century. In this survey of railroad images from around the world, trains appear as potent emblems of the modern industrial age and as crucial role players in transformation of the social and physical landscape. Included is the work of legendary photographers: Bisson Frères, Aaron Siskind, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and William Henry Jackson.

Tracks will be accompanied by a companion exhibition of photographic prints in a separate gallery that will explore the history and significance of the railway in the Quad Cities area. Crossing the Mississippi: The Quad Cities, the Railroad and Art includes works on loan from the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library and the Putnam Museum.

Both exhibitions are sure to please a variety of audiences; including history buffs, lovers of the American West, but especially photography and rail enthusiasts.

Guided group tours are available for the exhibition as well as full museum tours to enhance your visit. Contact the Figge Art Museum at 563.326.7804 or visit online at figgeart.org for more information.

Tracks is funded, in part, by the Riverboat Development Authority and the Iowa Arts Council.

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I've been mulling over something a very smart co-worker said to me this week: time is relative.  It moves faster or slower depending on your age, your work load and enjoyment of whatever you're doing at the moment.

If you are my approximate age and grew up on a farm, you probably remember how long summers used to last when you spent day after sweaty day walking beans or de-tasseling corn.  The start of school (and an end to the 12-hour chore days) seemed to take forever.

For proof of the "relativity of time" theory, look no further than your children.  Every mother thinks time stands still when faced with a colicky infant, sleep deprivation and potty training.   But what about when they're teenagers?  Every time I look at my daughter (now 13 and taller than me), I'm convinced she should still be five, holding my hand to cross a parking lot and totally in love with her parents (sigh).

According to psychologist Philip Zimbardo, it's not just 13-year-olds who need to sloooooow down; it's us (http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/time-is-relative/?emc=eta1). We probably don't need some psychologist brainiac to tell us all that we eat too fast, work too long, worry too much.  We spend too little time sitting down to dinner together.  We sacrifice our friends, our family and our sleep in order to "get ahead" in our jobs.  According to the latest statistics, only 20 percent of households sit down and have dinner together.

One thing is for certain: as fast as time goes by at our age (mine anyway), there IS no going back.  So, as we look ahead to 2011, how about making a couple resolutions to help us all make time a little more meaningfully.  Here's my short list of 2011 Resolutions:

1)      I resolve to do everything slower: walking, talking, breathing, praying; you know, the Big Stuff.

2)      I resolve to tell my family members every day that I love them.  Let me just say that anyone with a surly teenager at home knows this can sometimes be harder than it sounds (sigh).

3)      I resolve to let my dog take his time to check out evvvverrrything on our morning walks.  At least once a week, anyway (sorry, Spot).

4)      I resolve to chew my food.  Slowly.  No more burgers wolfed down at my desk while I "work through lunch".  Sure, it's not practical every day, but a recent dinner with friends at a new French restaurant in Des Moines (http://tinyurl.com/2wuojrj) convinced me that there is beauty in planning and enjoying a slowly and carefully-prepared meal.  I need to take time to actually taste and enjoy my food!

5)      And finally, I resolve to share even more stories of Iowans who DO take their time doing what's right in the name of putting food on ALL our tables: farmers.  Farmers, more than anyone else, understand the theory of "relative time."  Their technology has evolved faster than our nation's space program, yet the raw materials at their disposal remain unchanged: soil, water, work ethic.  Technology can shorten a growing season, increase yields or improve the nutrition of a chicken egg, but it can't change values.  Values of good farmers don't change.  Let's hope we all resolve to remember that in 2011.  Happy New Year!

 

Laurie Johns is Public Relations Manager for the Iowa Farm Bureau.                        12/31/2010

CHICAGO - December 30, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:
Bill No.: HB 1457
Extends single prime contracting for upgrading the Capitol Building HVAC systems.
An Act Concerning: State government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediately
Bill No.: HB 1510
Creates a mechanism for reimbursement to units of local government for ARRA funds.
An Act Concerning: Finance
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediately
Bill No.: HB 1516
Creates a mechanism for the reimbursement of high speed rail funds to local governments.
An Act Concerning: Finance
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediately
Bill No.: HB 5635
Extends the TIF district for the City of Charleston from 23 years to 35 years.
An Act Concerning: Local government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediately
Bill No.: HB 5863
Requires substitute teachers to register with the Regional Superintendent's Office in the area in which they
will be teaching.
An Act Concerning: Education
Action: Certified
Effective Date: January 1, 2011
Bill No.: SB 550
Makes technical changes to the Illinois Pension Code, allowing for the administration of pension reforms.
An Act Concerning: Public employee benefits
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2011
Bill No.: SB 678
Extends the repeal date of the Clean Coal FutureGen for Illinois Act until March 1, 2011.
An Act Concerning: Regulation
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediately
Bill No.: SB 2800
Extends the sunset of the Medical Practice Act from December 31, 2010 to November 30, 2011.
An Act Concerning: Professional regulation
Action: Signed
Effective Date: December 30, 2010
Bill No.: SB 3538
Reforms police and fire pensions to stabilize pension systems and increase funding levels.
An Act Concerning: Public employee benefits
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2011
Bill No.: SB 3776
Creates the Private Activity Bond Approval Act to provide safeguards for projects for facilities within Illinois financed with bonds issued by an issuer outside the State.
An Act Concerning: Finance
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2011
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New Laws will Help Preserve Benefits, Save Taxpayer Dollars
CHICAGO - December 30, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation that will help further stabilize pension systems for law enforcement officers and firefighters throughout Illinois, while protecting their retirement benefits.
"Firefighters and police officers put their lives on the line each and every day to keep us safe," said Governor Quinn. "These men and women who serve so selflessly must continue to have access to quality pension benefits that are also affordable for municipalities throughout the state. I would like to thank the Illinois General Assembly for their broad bi-partisan support in passing this critical legislation."
Senate Bill 3538, sponsored by Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park), is an important step toward stabilizing pension systems for police officers, sheriffs' employees and firefighters. The new law makes changes to pension requirements for individuals hired on or after Jan. 1, 2011.
Some reforms under the law include : a normal retirement age of 55 with 10 or more years of service; and an early retirement age of 50 with 10 or more years of service and with a 0.5 percent reduction for each month the pensioner's age is under 55. Other changes include : the maximum pension of 75 percent of an individual's average salary; the pensionable salary maximum will be capped at $106,800, with annual increases as outlined in the law; and monthly cost-of-living adjustments will begin at age 60 for retirees and survivors, and will be either 3 percent or one-half of the urban consumer price index, whichever is less.
As cities and towns throughout the state struggle to recover from the effects of the nation's economic recession, municipalities face the increased challenge of funding pensions. The changes made under Senate Bill 3538 will help ease that burden. The legislation will stabilize municipal pension systems, protect current municipal employees and provide attractive pension benefits to future police, sheriff's employees and firefighters.
Today Governor Quinn also signed Senate Bill 550, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Rep. McCarthy. The technical law will enable public employee retirement systems to administer the two-tier pension system Governor Quinn signed into law during the spring.
This past spring, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 1946 into law. The law was a historic pension reform which will help save Illinois taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars while preserving public employee pension benefits.
Senate Bill 3538 and Senate Bill 550 both go into effect Jan. 1, 2011.

In the groundbreaking documentary "Race to Nowhere," concerned mother turned filmmaker Vicki Abeles embarks on an inquiry into the insanely hectic lives of America's overstressed, overscheduled, overcompetitive students.  Students rushing from class to sports practice and from volunteer work to homework, increasingly relying on stimulants and sleep deprivation, are facing consequences ranging from depression to eating disorders to suicide.  The film points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating becoming commonplace, students becoming disengaged, and young people arriving at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.  "Race to Nowhere" is changing the dialogue on education, with nationwide coverage including the Today Show and Oprah.

How do we foster healthy development while maintaining rigorous, high-quality curriculum?  Experts agree that increasing student voice in the classroom increases engagement and encourages real learning instead of memorization.  Research shows that students who believe teachers listen to them and want to get to know them are more engaged in learning, less likely to cheat, and show fewer signs of stress.  In addition, experts recommend giving students quality time off and productive ways to cope with stress.

At Rivermont Collegiate, small classes and a continued relationship with a faculty advisor encourage in-depth student-teacher interaction and provide focused attention and support.  Students are encouraged to customize their education and design their own "Rivermont experience."  Rivermont features a nurturing, balanced environment where character counts as much as grades do.  Final exams followed by holiday, winter, and spring breaks offer quality time off and designated "no homework" nights allow students to enjoy extracurriculars without the added stress of homework.  Students are encouraged to participate in numerous stress-relieving activities, from video game parties at the end of finals week to yoga and knitting during "mini period."

What are you waiting for?  Explore the Rivermont approach to learning!  Join us for Open Tours the first Tuesday of every month.  The next Open Tour will be held Tuesday, January 4th from 8:30-10:00 a.m.  No appointment necessary!  Drop in to explore our philosophy and curriculum, take a tour of campus, and see our teachers in action.  Rivermont Collegiate is the Quad Cities' only PS-12th private, independent, nonsectarian college prep school, located at 1821 Sunset Drive, directly off 18th Street behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf.

In a grassroots sensation, theaters and schools nationwide are hosting community screenings of "Race to Nowhere."  The film will play in Des Moines, IA at Fleur Cinema & Café on January 25th at 7:30 p.m., as well as several locations in Illinois throughout January and February.

For additional information, including screening locations, visit http://www.racetonowhere.com

For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate or Tuesday's Open Tours, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org

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Crafts, stories, snacks, and new friends - it's all happening at Rivermont Collegiate on Thursday mornings!  Children ages 2-4 (and an accompanying adult) are invited to join us for our free Young Scholars program, held the first Thursday of every month, beginning January 6th.  Youngsters join the current Rivermont preschool class for story time and crafts, while parents and families are invited to learn more about Rivermont, the Quad Cities' only private, independent, nonsectarian college prep school for preschool through twelfth grade.

Join us to explore the Rivermont approach to learning, see our faculty in action, and enjoy oodles of fun with the preschool class!  Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, will be on hand to provide campus tours and answer questions.  At Rivermont, we believe a child is never too young to begin learning and provide students with a demanding and comprehensive education, driven by passionate faculty and small class sizes

The next Young Scholars event will be Thursday, January 6th from 9:00-10:00 a.m. on the Rivermont campus, located at 1821 Sunset Drive, directly off 18th Street behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf.  Young Scholars is free and open to the community.  Bring a friend!  We can't wait to meet you!

For additional information about Rivermont Collegiate or the Young Scholars program, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Americans across the country prepare to welcome the New Year, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today highlighted new health care benefits that will take effect on New Year's Day.  These new provisions, established by the Affordable Care Act, will require insurance companies to give Americans better value for their premium dollars and provide seniors with discounts on prescription drugs and free preventive care.   

"What many Americans may not know is that as they're ringing in the New Year, they're also ringing in important new health care benefits created by the Affordable Care Act," said Chairman Harkin.  "Starting Saturday, insurance companies will be required to dedicate at least 80 percent of health care premiums to actual health care services rather than profits or executive salaries - and if they don't comply, their customers will get a refund.  Meanwhile, our senior citizens will be able to get big discounts on their prescriptions and free preventive care to keep them healthy."       

The Affordable Care Act was signed on March 23, 2010 by President Obama.  Harkin, as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, played a pivotal role in the bill's passage and was on hand for the bill signing.

Among other new protections taking effect on January 1, the health care law will:

  • Give Americans Better Value for Their Premium Dollars - Insurance companies will now be required to spend 85 percent of all premium dollars collected for large employer plans on health care and improving quality of care.  For plans sold to individuals and small employers, at least 80 percent of the premium must be spent on benefits and quality improvement.  If insurance companies do not meet these goals because their administrative costs or profits are too high, they must provide rebates to consumers.
  • Offer Prescription Drug Discounts to Seniors - Seniors who reach the Medicare coverage gap known as the "donut hole" will receive a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D.
  • Provide Free Preventive Care to Seniors - Seniors on Medicare will now be offered free preventive services, such as annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans.

For a full list of provisions taking effect on January 1, please visit Healthcare.gov: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/index.html and for more information on the Affordable Care Act, please visit http://www.healthcare.gov/, http://www.whitehouse.gov/HealthReform or http://harkin.senate.gov/.

The world's largest synthetic ice rink opened in December in Rockford, Ill., as part of the first Harris Winter Wonderland.  Synthetic ice is widely used around the world, but no one has attempted a rink of this size outdoors until now.  What makes this venue unique is the 12,000-square-feet of synthetic ice, which includes an 800-foot skating trail around the park.  The surface is great for beginners and children, and it can be used whether it's 10 degrees or 90.

An empty, unused park was transformed to create the new Harris Winter Wonderland, complete with the ice skating surface, benches, evergreen trees, a fire pit, warming area and hundreds of twinkling lights.  The construction of the rink took only four days thanks to the hard work of volunteer union laborers.

Admission to skate is only $3 and skate rental is $2.

Specialized Illinois National Guard Unit Mobilized for Afghanistan, Nearly 20 Soldiers Mobilize Jan. 3 As Part of an Embedded Training Team

SPRINGFIELD, IL (12/29/2010)(readMedia)-- A deployment ceremony is scheduled for approximately 20 Soldiers who will deploy to Afghanistan as part of an embedded training team. The ceremony for the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team A7 will be Jan.3 at 10 a.m. at the Illinois Military Academy at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

The Bilateral Embedded Staff Team Soldiers will train for a brief time at Camp Atterbury, Ind. before deploying to Poland for approximately two months to train with the Polish Land Forces. The unique mission allows Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers to train and deploy side-by-side with their Polish counterparts. Following the training, the Soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan for a six-month mobilization. The Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

"This mobilization illustrates the diverse skill sets and training of our Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers and the variety of missions we support in today's challenging international environment, as well as in our state and community," said Maj. Gen. William Enyart, Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. "These troops are instrumental in helping train foreign Soldiers to defend their country all the while polishing our Guardsmen's skills."

The team will assist the Afghan government to extend its authority across the country, perform security operations and help stabilize the war-torn nation. The Soldiers will also mentor and support the Afghan National Army and support Afghan government programs to disarm illegally armed groups.

709th Medical Company Mobilizes for Iraq, Deployment Ceremony Scheduled for Jan. 4 for Peoria Army National Guard Unit

PEORIA, IL (12/30/2010)(readMedia)-- A deployment ceremony for approximately 75 Soldiers from the Peoria-based 709th Area Support Medical Company will be Jan. 4 at 11:30 a.m. at Pere Marquette, 501 Main St. in Peoria.

The Soldiers will train for a brief time at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash. before deploying to Iraq for approximately 10 months in support of Operation New Dawn. This operation is the new name for Operation Iraqi Freedom as the U.S. military continues to withdraw troops from Iraq.

The mission of the 709th will be to provide medical care for U.S. and coalition servicemembers in Iraq. The unit will also assist in evacuating injured personnel.

Some Soldiers with the 108th Sustainment Brigade in Chicago, 708th Medical Company in North Riverside and 710th Area Support Medical Company in North Riverside are deploying with the 709th. The Soldiers come from all parts of Illinois and parts of Iowa, with a majority of the servicemembers from the Chicago area.

The unit will be mobilized for approximately one year, returning home around Christmas of 2011.

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