This is going to be the biggest and best GIRS Fall Fest EVER!

If you've been thinking about renting a table to sell at the event, all vendor space is currently spoken for.  Contact mthomp at GIRS if you would like to be notified of any cancellations.

Also, volunteers are still needed for after Fall Fest for tank tear downs and clean-up.  This is vital to the success of the event, so if you can stick around to help, please contact mthomp at GIRS for details and to volunteer.

For more event info., visit: http://fests.greateriowareefsociety.org/

We have a lot to share with you this week, so we'll just dive right in to the details.  The RiverCenter will be buzzing with a wide range of events this week including the Trinity Celebrity Style Show, a Quad-City Rollers Bout, and the AUSA Sea of Goodwill Luncheon.

A dynamic and high energy band, Kinetix, is headlining a show at River Music Experience Friday, and the 3rd Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinee will feature the talented Chris Greene Quartet.  Check out Kidz Days along with performances by Diet Folk, Quarter Til, QC-KIX Orchestra, and Skynny Skynyrd, too.  Maybe you could even consider taking some music lessons?

Interested in learning more about your family history?  Visit the library during Genealogy Night and discover more about your family roots.  Entertainment at Rhythm City will feature Adam Beck as well as another thrilling and funny Mystery Dinner Theater show. 

Participate in the Thursdays at the Figge Art Talk, and stick around the museum tonight to take your pick between an acrylic painting class, a printmaking workshop, and a glass workshop.  Learn about Art, Urbanism, and the Parisian Experience on Sunday, or just stop by to see the current exhibits.

Have you heard the delicious news?  Bowls: Urban Eats will begin serving breakfast on Monday!  You just can't go wrong with a breakfast bowl.  Oktoberfest brew is now on tap at Front Street Brewery, so break out your lederhosen and polka your way over to the pub for a taste.

Mark your calendar now for the upcoming Halloween events!  Deadstock at Bucktown, IP Seance,  the Zombie Pride Parade, and the Davenport Halloween Parade are all just around the corner!  If you're too impatient to wait it out, just head over to the Jaycees Haunted House.  Stay tuned for more Halloween event details later this month.

Don't forget to swing by the Freight House Farmers Market, and stop in Kilkenny's Pub for free live music by Jordan Danielsen and Just Chords this week.  Also, head over to Ragged Records and take advantage of their huge DVD sale while it lasts!

See you downtown!

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House panel passes bill allowing Postal Service to advance plans to close 178 Iowa post offices 

Washington, DC - October 13, 2011 - Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement as the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform considers the Postal Reform Act, a bill that, in part, allows the Postal Service to move forward with plans to close up to 178 small town Iowa post offices.  Braley is a member of the panel.

Braley was able to successfully amend the bill to require the Postal Service to report on the number of jobs eliminated by their proposed post office closures, including the number of veterans jobs eliminated.  Braley's amendment was passed with unanimous, bipartisan support.

"I grew up in a small town, and I know how important post offices are to these communities," Braley said.  "It may not seem like much to a bureaucrat in Washington, but a post office is the centerpiece of a small town.  If not for the post office, what else would provide the spark for economic development?  What business would open in a town without one?

"No question, the Postal Service needs to change to survive.  But it doesn't have to build its recovery on the backs of small town Americans.  That's why I'm working to improve this bill and prevent post office closures in Iowa.  I'm disappointed that the bill we're considering today doesn't protect small town post offices."

If passed by the panel, the Postal Reform Act of 2011 would move to the full House for consideration.  If passed by the House, it would advance to the Senate for consideration.

The Postal Reform Act:

1. Allows the Postal Service to eliminate Saturday delivery.
2. Establishes a commission to close post offices and postal facilities.
3. Reduces rural mail delivery.
4. Allows the Postal Service to sell advertising space on property and vehicles.
5. Allows the Postal Service to raise the price of bulk mail delivery.

Braley has sponsored an alternative postal reorganization plan that would prevent post office closures by allowing the Postal Service to reclaim billions of dollars in overpayments it has made in recent years to its employees' retirement system.

If you notice an increased number of pink ribbons, pins or advertisements promoting Breast Cancer Awareness that is because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this important month, I would like to remind all Iowans that in addition to showing your support during October, also use this time to take action by getting information about this disease. Do not just notice the pink this year, but rather, talk to your doctor, mother, wife or daughters about prevention, and encourage them to get examined.

My passion for this issue comes from a very personal place: I lost two sisters to breast cancer. Unfortunately for my family, my sisters were diagnosed at a time when regular mammograms and improved treatment methods were not widely available. What gives me hope in combating this disease is that now many women have access to preventive services and medical opportunities. In fact, I was proud to champion historic opportunities in preventive care as part of the Affordable Care Act, the health reform law. That law calls for preventive health services with early detection, like mammograms, without co-pays or deductibles. And this is critical since it is recommended that middle-aged women get mammograms on a regular basis. Those who are younger, who are more susceptible or have a higher increase to breast cancer, should also be screened regularly.

Mammograms are also essential to combating the staggering statistics on breast cancer. According to a Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Study, 230,480 women will develop breast cancer this year alone. Early detection is key to spotting and treating cancer effectively and the new health reform law will ensure more women have the ability to get screenings that may save their lives. And the new law will hopefully transform the health system as we know it.

We must also remember that breast cancer is a disease that affects both sexes and their families and friends. Most Iowans have been affected in some way by cancer and know the trials, hardships, and pain it causes for the person and their families. This month, please encourage your loved ones to get the care and preventative services that can save their lives.

For more information on the Affordable Care Act please visit http://www.healthcare.gov/ or http://harkin.senate.gov/.

A PDF version of the column is available by clicking here.