03 Jun 2010

Auditions at WQPT

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT will be holding auditions for a special taped project on June 14 at the WQPT offices at 3400 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 101, Moline, Illinois. The auditions will take place on June 14th. WQPT is looking for a Hispanic girl between the ages of 11 and 14. This project will tape during the week of June 21st.  To schedule your audition appointment, please call WQPT at 309-764-2400.  This is a paid role.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University.

03 Jun 2010

West Music Parking Lot Jam

By Cathi Dorr

MOLINE, Illinois (June 1, 2010) - Grab your lawn chair and bring the family down to West Music in Moline for an old-fashioned neighborhood barbecue with a twist!  Join families from all over the Quad Cities as West Music students and local musicians once again take the stage for the 6th annual West Music Parking Lot Jam. This free family-friendly outdoor concert will be held Sunday, June 13 at 3pm in the West Music parking lot - just one mile East of I74 on John Deere Rd in Moline.  You and your family can register for giveaways and enjoy fresh sandwiches, pulled pork and cold drinks from Smoken JOEZ Lazy Dog Bar-B-Q. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Cheer on dozens of aspiring young musicians as they take the stage live - many for the very first time - with their instructors. The Parking Lot Jam highlights the musical bond that spans generations as local musicians of all ages perform together. West Music instructors and local musicians will also perform.

West Music is one of the Midwest's leading musical instrument retailers and is ranked in the top 25 nationally. Since 1941, West Music's mission has been to enrich peoples' lives through participation in music by supplying quality musical instruments, lessons and repair services. Its repair team is the largest and most experienced of its kind in the Midwest. West Music 's lesson programs reach over 4,000 students every month and have achieved national recognition with the Music, Inc. Magazine Retailing Excellence Award. West Music has six retail locations in Iowa and western Illinois, as well as a nationally distributed product catalog focusing on childhood instruments and teaching tools..
03 Jun 2010

June Health Briefs

By Aaron Conklin

Help your child cope with the "agony of defeat"

MADISON, Wis. - Summer sports competitions mean lots of children will have to wrestle with the disappointment of defeat in sports.

Parents can help by acknowledging the child's feelings.

That's the advice of Dr. Claudia Reardon of the department of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

"Saying something as simple as, 'I understand you're feeling upset that you didn't win the race' can open up a discussion and let them know you're there to listen," says Reardon, an expert on sports psychiatry.

Focus on the things that went right on the playing field.

"Then you can examine whatever went wrong as an opportunity for the child to improve his or her skills," Reardon says.

Look at the big picture.

"I find it useful to ask children if they think their favorite athletes ever make a bad play or lose a race, and then decide to quit," she says.

Reardon urges parents to make sure that sports disappointment doesn't slide into bad sportsmanship.

(Contact: Aaron R. Conklin at (608) 263-5561 or aconklin@uwhealth.org.)

Tongue drops effective for ragweed allergies?

MADISON, Wis. -- Oral allergy drops delivered under the tongue could be a safe and effective alternative to controlling ragweed pollen allergies, according to a recent study.

"While the drops haven't been subjected to rigorous clinical trials in the United States yet, the early results are quite encouraging," says Dr. Robert Bush, professor emeritus of medicine at the School of Medicine and Public Health and one of the investigators on the multi-site study involving 115 patients.

Europeans have been using the therapy for years, but in the U.S. it has been approved only for research and clinical trials so far.

Study results showed that symptom frequency decreased for those who were given high doses of the medication, as did the need to take additional medication.

The therapy seemed to work best in patients who react to a single allergen - such as ragweed pollen - rather than several.

"We don't know how long people would need to be treated or the proper dose levels yet," says Bush. "But it's clear there's a lot of interest in this therapy."

(Contact: Aaron R. Conklin at (608) 263-5561 or aconklin@uwhealth.org.)

Calorie listings at your favorite drive-through?

MADISON, Wis. -- Americans can soon expect to see more restaurants posting nutrition information.

Since New York City's menu law went into effect in July 2008, California and Massachusetts have passed similar bills. Wisconsin has one in the pipeline and a federal version appears in the new health-care law.

"Providing accurate information to help people choose healthier diets is a small but constructive step that government leaders are likely to try out before more controversial strategies such as taxes or bans on particular foods and beverages," says Dr. Tom Oliver, of the UW Population Health Institute.

Such policies are driven by ballooning obesity rates - 26.6 percent of Americans were obese in 2008, up from 15.9 percent in 1995. They're also a response to the fact that the percentage of meals eaten in restaurants has nearly doubled since 1978.

"Doing a better job at preventing obesity and cardiovascular disease is good fiscal policy as well," says Oliver. "We need to keep people healthier to slow the growth of health care costs to individuals, employers and government programs."

(Contact: Susan Lampert Smith at (608) 262-7335 or ssmith5@uwhealth.org.)

03 Jun 2010

American Heart Association recruits teens to get 1 million people educated in CPR

By Ciara O'Brien Murray

IOWA, June 1 ? To reach its goal of educating 1 million Americans about CPR during CPR Week (June 1-7), the American Heart Association is calling on a new audience -- teens.

"We are reaching out to teens to create the next generation of lifesavers," said Michael Sayre, M.D., chairman of the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee. "Teens can learn how to save lives and play an important role by setting an example for their friends, families and neighbors about the need for CPR and AED training -- and they can encourage the adults in their lives to learn CPR."

During CPR Week, the association will increase awareness about CPR and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) so more people will know the simple steps to save a life if someone suddenly collapses from cardiac arrest.

Anyone - teen or adult - can help the association reach its goal by:

· Playing the "Be the Beat" educational game or watching the Hands-Only CPR video at cprweek.org

· Taking a classroom-based course. To find a course, go to americanheart.org/cpr and click on the ECC Class Connector.

· Training on CPR Anytime, a self-directed, at-home CPR kit.  Kits can be ordered at cpranytime.org

Once people have learned about CPR via traditional instructor-led training or a CPR Anytime kit, they can log their experience at CPRweek.org. People who play the educational game or watch the Hands-Only video on the CPR Week site will be automatically counted toward the goal. A real-time heat map will track the number of people who have taken action in communities nationwide.

The association recently expanded its outreach to teens with Be the Beat, a program that encourages teens to learn what to do when someone collapses from cardiac arrest. Visitors to BeTheBeat.heart.org learn the basics of CPR and how to use an AED through a series of video games and interactive quizzes. There's also a playlist of 100-beat-per-minute songs to set the right pace for chest compressions.

Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere. And when it does, a victim's survival depends on the people around them.  Skilled emergency personnel treat about 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in the United States, but more than 92 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital die from it.

Training more people to perform CPR - in its 50th year as a lifesaving measure -- increases survival by enabling more possible bystanders to handle an emergency.  Less than one-third of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive CPR from a bystander.  Without immediate CPR, the chance of surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest drops up to 10 percent for each minute that passes without defibrillation.  This means that by the time EMS personnel arrive on the scene it could be too late.

"CPR and AED training are critical to saving lives," Sayre said. "CPR Week is one way we hope to increase awareness about cardiac arrest as a significant health problem and get teens and adults to take action so more lives can be saved."

For more information about CPR Week, visit CPRweek.org.

03 Jun 2010

Library Opens New Bob Hope Exhibition

By Sheryl Cannady


Legendary entertainer Bob Hope once quipped, "I love to go to Washington, if only to be near my money."  Hope's political humor, his relationship with U.S. presidents, and the interplay among the worlds of comedy, politics and civic activism are showcased in the new public exhibition, "Hope for America: Performers, Politics & Pop Culture," opening at the Library of Congress on Friday, June 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  The exhibition will be located in the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., S.E. in Washington, D.C.  

Focusing on the careers of Hope and other prominent entertainers, the "Hope for America" exhibit will explore the dynamics of political and social satire and will provide a unique window into the evolution of satirical humor. "This new exhibition differs significantly from the previous one, that celebrated vaudeville, because it explores the time-honored tradition of American comedians commenting on the political scene in satires that have entertained and rattled the political establishment," said William Jacobs, chief of the Library's Interpretive Programs Office.  

"Hope for America" will draw from the treasured Bob Hope Collection, which was donated to the Library by the Hope family in 1998.  On display will be Hope's personal papers, joke files, films and radio and television broadcasts, along with other materials from the Library's vast collections.

The exhibition will examine entertainers' involvement in a wide range of causes and campaigns, especially as leaders in supporting and entertaining American troops abroad.   Hope's commitment to public service for nearly 50 years on behalf of the men and women in the armed forces earned him many honors, including the U. S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Bob Hope has been an inspiration to the many comedians who came after him who do topical, political humor," said contemporary satirist Stephen Colbert.  Reminiscent of his popular television show, Colbert sets up the visitors experience in an introductory video presentation that highlights Hope's USO, television and film performances, and features clips of such notables as Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Al Franken, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Stewart, Groucho Marx, Sean Penn and Richard Pryor.

Colbert's presentation examines the reasons why Hope was a favorite of 11 presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.  While Colbert has actually considered a bid for the presidency, Hope?perhaps tongue-in-cheek?tells Johnny Carson in the presentation that his wife "wouldn't want to move to a smaller house."

By tracing the multiple facets of political humor through a wide range of photographs, film clips and original source materials that represent an array of viewpoints, the exhibition will challenge visitors to draw their own conclusions regarding the synergy between politics and entertainment in American society and its consequences for the nation's political culture.  

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

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03 Jun 2010

New videos available to promote teen safe driving from American Family Insurance

By Janet Masters
Madison, Wis. (May 26, 2010) - With graduation season in full swing and summer just around the corner, it's important to know a few alarming statistics: Car crashes are the number one cause of teen fatalities. One in six teens is in an accident during the first year of driving. Nearly half of all fatal car crashes involving teen drivers are single-car crashes.

It's this sobering reality that steers the Teen Safe Driver ProgramSM from American Family Insurance and the newest elements of the program - seven consumer education videos.
The timely videos link to the popular YouTube website from the program's website www.teensafedriver.com and cover a broad range of subjects related to teen driving. As part of the Teen Safe Driver Program, they underscore the company's commitment to helping teens learn safe driving habits and encouraging dialogue between teens and parents.

The new video titles and topics include :

"Two's good company, three's a crowd" - Talks about how more passengers greatly increases the crash risk for teen drivers

"The benefits of graduated licensing" - Explains why graduated driving license programs work to keep teens safer behind the wheel

"Protect yourself from erratic drivers" - Demonstrates how teen drivers can't control other drivers but can learn to protect themselves from other erratic behavior on the road

"Is your teen ready to drive?" - Asks the questions that can help determine if teens have the necessary maturity to get a driver's license; meant to be viewed together by teens and their parents

"Don't drive mad" - Talks about how to keep anger from causing a crash

"Always focusing on the road" - Explains how multi-tasking is a popular notion these days, but turns out it's not such an effective way of doing things, particularly when it comes to driving

"Advice for new drivers and their siblings" - Discusses waiting for a teen driver to have siblings as passengers, since the first few months after a teen gets a license are the most dangerous

The Teen Safe Driver Program was introduced in 2007 and uses an innovative combination of technology (via an in-vehicle video and audio unit) and parental involvement (via the special website www.teensafedriver.com) to help educate and guide parents and the new young drivers in their households to learning and practicing responsible driving habits.

When American Family customers with a beginning teen driver voluntarily sign up for Teen Safe Driver (at no cost for the one-year program), an in-vehicle video and audio unit is installed that captures risky driving behaviors such as excessive speed, sharp turns and hard braking. Parents log in to www.teensafedriver.com to view the driving report card, video events and coaching tips, including objective, third-party assessment of the teen driver's driving performance compared with other teens.

"Balancing the freedom teens experience when they get the keys to the family car with the hard discussions parents want to have with them about being safe can be difficult," says Kevin Piette, American Family product portfolio director. "The Teen Safe Driver program provides the opportunity to have those conversations and learn from real experiences."

Julie Rupert, auto lines director, notes the impressive results of the program to date. "By week 18 we see an increase in seat belt usage to 100 percent and a greater than 70 percent reduction in the frequency and severity of risky driving events among new drivers," she says. "Our goal is to give teens and their parents an educational tool for preventing accidents and promoting good driving behavior. Hopefully both can then feel more secure when teens get behind the wheel."

And to remind the teens in your life to drive safe this summer, check out American Family's Celebrations application on Facebook where they can send a seatbelt safety reminder gift and remind their friends of the importance of always buckling up.
03 Jun 2010

Local Students named to Academic Honors Lists

By various

The following local students were named to the Dean's List at Clarke College, Dubuque, for the spring 2010 semester.

  • Sarah E. Christison of Bettendorf
  • Megan M. Chitty of Davenport
  • Kirk D. Garrison of Moline
  • Kaitlyn L. Tipsword of Moline
  • Lauren E. Murga of Rock Island

Jay Wagoner of Bettendorf was named to the Midwest Collegiate Conference Academic All-Conference list.  Jay is a student at Clarke College, Dubuque.

Sarah Dooley of Bettendorf was named to the Dean's List of Emory College, the undergraduate, liberal arts college of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., for the 2010 spring semester.

Peter David Arnould Wood, a 2006 graduate of Assumption High School, was named to the Dean's List at Oklahoma State University for the Spring of 2010.

The following students were named to the William Penn University Spring 2010 President's List:

  • Etaf Elkhatib of Bettendorf
  • Sophia Farooqui of Bettendorf
  • Lisa Lacy of Davenport
  • Ivy Rostenbach of Davenport.
Maria Elena Ontiveros, Bettendorf, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison's School of Human Ecology, has earned the Dean's High Honors for the Spring of 2010.
01 Jun 2010

Moline Teen Wins State Title

By Amalia Schwerdtmann
Kaitlyn Wehr, Miss Blackhawk Valley's Outstanding Teen was named Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen at the state competition in Springfield, Illinois Sunday evening, May 29.  She was selected from a field of 14 contestants from over the state,  She also received the Community Service Award and the Scholastic Excellence Award.

Kaitlyn is the daughter of Denis and Lisa Wehr of Moline.  Her talent is jazz dance and her platform is "Model the Healthy Life."  She made her first appearance in Chatham, Illinois on Memorial Day.  She will compete in the national competition, Miss America's Outstanding Teen in Orlando in August.

Carolyn Wehr, Miss Blackhawk Valley's Pre-Teen was named second runner-up to Miss Illinois' Outstanding Pre-Teen.  She received the Academic Excellence award having the highest GPA of all the 14 contestants.  Sister to Kaitlyn, she is also the daughter of Denis and Lisa Wehr of Moline.

Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen and Pre-Teen competitions are sister organizations to the Miss America Organization and provide scholarships to those girls ages 6 to 17 who compete.  For more information, contact Amalia Schwerdtmann by email at MissIlDir@missillinois.org or visit the Miss Illinois website www.missillinois.org.

The Miss Illinois competition will be held in St. Charles on June 17 to 19.
01 Jun 2010

New This Year for Elite Riders The MRT Muscatine to Buffalo Ride!

By Heather Moore

Enjoy a 44-mile ride along the Mississippi scenic river valley with the Muscatine Melon City Bicycle Club and the Quad-City Bicycle Club!!!! Help us make the MRT (Mississippi River Trail) the place to be! This ride begins and ends in Muscatine.

A special 44-mile Muscatine-Buffalo-Muscatine ride will be held on the same day as Ride the River, Father's Day, June 20th, 2010. This MRT event will help to highlight the need to complete the Iowa MRT section of the trail from Muscatine to Buffalo. Riding on Highway 22 dictates that our participants be avid cyclists, at least 18 years of age, and capable of riding 13 mph and up. The $10 fee includes a t-shirt and a midpoint pancake breakfast in Buffalo. There will be a SAG stop in Wildcat Den on the return leg. The group will depart from the downtown Muscatine riverfront bike path at 7 a.m. on June 20th. Register for the MRT Ride at the River Action website: www.riveraction.org.

You can learn more about the Mississippi River Trail up and down the Mississippi by going to www.mississippirivertrail.org.

Thanks for helping River Action promote the expansion of our wonderful Mississippi River Trail system.

For additional information about the Muscatine-Buffalo-Muscatine ride, contact Dean Mathias at 309-737-8429, Harper's Cycling and Fitness at 563-263-4043, or River Action at 563-322-2969.

01 Jun 2010

Midwest Kites Fun Fly Added to Ride the River

By Heather Moore

Imaginations will soar at the Midwest Kites Fun Fly at the Quarter during River the River, June 20, 2010. Stop by to watch or participate in dual line and quad line kite flying lessons. Celebrate Ride the River's 26th year by joining us on Father's Day, June 20. New this year?a six mile Arsenal Island loop. Cross the river on the Celebration Belle Riverboat or the historic Arsenal Island Bridge. Bring all the kids because Kids Ride Free with a paying adult, sponsored by Trinity Regional Health Systems. Please note: Arsenal Island trails are open for just registered riders of this event. The Ride begins at the Freighthouse, Western and River Drive, Davenport.

Come join the fun with the whole family this Father's Day and carry on this 26 year tradition! Ride 16 miles or 60 miles; you can loop back at several places on the route. You'd be surprised how much you get out of Ride the River! Building memories, enjoying nature, learning Mississippi River history, getting hooked on biking and connecting with the family. With cool drinks, delicious food, a Kids Olympics, Nahant Marsh, Quad Cities Botantical Center and Putnam Museum activities, Ride the River is a great family activity. Register on-line at www.riveraction.org. Adult riders are $12 until June 18th and $15 after June 18th. For more information contact Linda at 563-322-RIDE, or 563-322-7433.


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