Annual Observance Will Honor and Remember Illinois Servicemembers Wounded or Killed in Action

CHICAGO - August 5, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation establishing Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day in Illinois. House Bill 1537 designates Aug. 7 as an annual day to honor and remember those in the military who have been wounded or killed in battle and honored with a Purple Heart. Since the legislation will not take effect until 2012, Governor Quinn also issued a proclamation to ensure that observance of Purple Heart Day will begin in 2011.

"Men and women of the U.S. military, especially those that sacrificed life or limb, deserve the honor and respect of all Americans," Governor Quinn said. "I am proud to remember our Veterans by adding this ceremonial day for those who bravely served and protected the United States."

"The Purple Heart is an honor available to all, but desired by none," Daniel Finn said, State Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration still awarded to members of the United States military. It was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782. Initially called the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart is a decoration awarded to any member of the Armed Services who has been wounded or killed in action. Since World War I, nearly two million Purple Hearts have been awarded to combat veterans, including at least 42,000 from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

House Bill 1537 was sponsored by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) and Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora). It takes effect Jan 1.

A copy of the proclamation is attached.

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WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley today urged a key federal agency not to dilute a long-awaited transparency rule that would help disclose financial ties between medical researchers who receive billions of dollars in federal funding and the pharmaceutical industry.

"The public's business ought to be public," Grassley said.  "Transparency is a backstop against research that's compromised by doctors' self-interest, to the detriment of consumers.  Backsliding on transparency would undermine the good work done in recent years to shine a light on these financial relationships."

Grassley wrote to the Office of Management and Budget in response to a media report that the agency is proposing to weaken transparency rules proposed in May 2010 by the Department of Health and Human Services.  According to the article, the Office of Management and Budget is removing the requirement in the proposed rule for a publicly available website that would publish the outside financial interests of researchers funded by taxpayers. 

The Department of Health and Human Services includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the primary means of federal funding of medical research at universities and large medical centers.  The President's proposed budget for the National Institutes of Health for 2012 is $32 billion, with about 83 percent dedicated for research around the country.

In 2007, Grassley began looking into whether universities have disclosed their professors' outside financial interests and found several cases indicating that more transparency might be helpful, including:

--The chair of the Psychiatry Department at Emory University failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from a pharmaceutical company while researching that same company's drugs with an NIH grant.  The Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is now investigating the matter.

--The chair of the Psychiatry Department at Stanford University received an NIH grant to study a drug while partially owning a company that was seeking Food and Drug Administration approval of said drug.  He was later removed from the grant.

--Three psychiatrists at Harvard University failed to report almost a million dollars each in outside income while heading up several NIH grants.  Harvard released a report on the matter, and a briefing has been scheduled with Grassley's office.

Also, the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that the NIH doesn't adequately monitor its outside grants for conflicts of interest.

A law enacted last year through Grassley and Sen. Herb Kohl will require public disclosure of drug company and medical device manufacturer payments to doctors, starting in March 2013. 

The rule proposed for NIH grants would require the research institutions to determine potential conflicts of interest grant by grant, such as whether the doctor owns shares in a company that could cause bias in his or her federally funded research.  The details would have to be posted online for public access. The Office of Management and Budget is proposing to eliminate the online requirement, according to a media article. 

"If the online requirement is gone, it will be much harder for the public to see and use this information," Grassley said. "Without public scrutiny, we'd lose a valuable layer of oversight."

The text of Grassley's letter is available here.

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- Activities Include Saturday Straw Poll Interactive Listening Posts to Engage Voter Opinions and Sole Sponsorship of GOP Presidential Debate Surrogate Spin Rooms -

DES MOINES – AARP will launch its nationwide presidential voter education engagement efforts next week in Ames, Iowa, listening to the concerns and priorities of 2011 Iowa Straw Poll participants. Visitors to AARP's First in the Nation: Your Right, Your Decision, Your VoteSpeak Out Tent will have the opportunity to share their views on pocketbook and retirement issues through interactive and instant audience response technology.  It's all part of AARP's national efforts to make sure presidential candidates and other elected officials hear the voices of voters 50+ throughout the 2012 election campaign.

"For the first time, voters at the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll in Ames not only have the first chance to determine which candidates rise to the top in the early days of the 2012 campaign cycle, but they also will have the opportunity to discuss what they think the next president should do to address pocketbook and retirement security issues at our cutting-edge, interactive Listening Posts and Speak Out Stage," said Tony Vola, AARP Iowa State President. Vola said AARP will be conducting voter engagement efforts in Iowa as well as other primary and caucus states at both Republican and Democratic events throughout the 2012 election cycle.

AARP's First in the Nation Speak Out Tent, co-hosted by Mediacom, is centrally located adjacent to Scheman Hall and Hilton Coliseum. The day's program features a series of events including:

  • Your Pocketbook and Your Retirement Listening Posts utilizing interactive and instant audience response technology with Republican pollster Leslie Sanchez, who's appeared on Fox News, CNN and Oprah Radio, on the AARP Speak Out Stage;
  • Leadership recognitions on the AARP Speak Out Stage for Iowa's Republican elected officials, including Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, and Congressmen Steve King and Tom Latham; 
  • An AARP/Mediacom Speak Out Corner for participants to weigh in on what should be the top priority for America's presidential candidates;
  • Individual photographs with American historical figures and past Republican Presidents in front of backdrops featuring the beautiful Iowa State Capitol; and,
  • Refreshing snacks, beverages, WiFi café and relaxation lounge areas.

In addition to the First in the Nation Speak Out Tent activities during the Straw Poll on Saturday, Aug. 13, AARP also is the Republican Party of Iowa's (RPI) sole sponsor of the post-debate Campaign Surrogate/Media Spin Rooms for RPI's Presidential Candidate Debate Series currently scheduled for Aug. 11 in Ames, Dec. 10 in Des Moines and Feb. 1 in Sioux City.

AARP's participation in the Iowa Straw Poll is part of the Association's 25+-year tradition of focusing candidate attention on the issues of concern to older Americans and their families, and helping voters know where the candidates stand on those issues. AARP is nonprofit and nonpartisan. The Association does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.  For more information on AARP visit www.aarp.org

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SAVANNAH, GA. (08/04/2011)(readMedia)-- Grace Allison of Walcott, IA (52773), recently graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Allison earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sequential Art.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees to prepare talented students for professional careers. As the most comprehensive art and design university in the world, SCAD offers more than 40 majors and more than 50 minors at distinctive locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 10,000 students, comes from all 50 United States and nearly 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD's innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times. For more information, visit scad.edu.

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Grace-Allison-of-Walcott-Graduates-from-the-Savannah-College-of-Art-and-Design/2910822.

Innovative In-Store Workshops Teach Musicians How To Easily Record At Home Using an Apple Computer And GarageBand

Westlake Village, CA -August 4, 2011- Guitar Center, (www.guitarcenter.com), the world's largest musical instrument retailer, is providing a new series of free recording workshops aimed at taking the complexity out of home recording.  In five accessible "Recording Made Easy" sessions, conducted on an ongoing basis, musicians can take their ideas from basic tracks to finished songs by learning how to use an Apple Computer and GarageBand.  The new program is yet another example of Guitar Center's commitment to educate and inspire musicians nationwide.

"With the 'Recording Made Easy' workshops, we're aiming to demystify home recording for musicians who don't have the time to really dig in on their own or feel that it might be too complicated," says Guitar Center's Karam Kaul. "Our goal is to empower more musicians to record their music and take some of the intimidation factor out of home recording."

"Record Made Easy" is broken down into five separate classes, with a different class taking place every Saturday at 10am local time at all 221 Guitar Center locations across the U.S. on an ongoing basis.   If participants need a refresher, they are welcome to come back and take classes as many times as they like, and each class features a question and answer session with the on-site instructor.  The week five class on online music publishing will only be available in months with five weeks.

The Introduction to Computer Recording class schedule:
Week 1: Signal Flow and Microphone Techniques, including Signal Flow Basics; Recording Basics; Recording Vocals; Recording Electric Guitar

Week 2: Virtual Instruments and Loops, including working with virtual (software) instruments; Working with Apple Loops

Week 3: Effects, including working with compression, eq, reverb and with guitar amp and pedal software

Week 4: Mixing and Publishing, including preparing a mix; Automation; Mixdown / Publishing

Week 5: Online Music Publishing (in months with 5 weeks only), including how to use TuneCore to get music digital distributed on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify

For a full list of upcoming classes, go to:
http://gc.guitarcenter.com/recording-made-easy/

Guitar Center worked diligently to ensure that the techniques used in each class were the best and most up-to-date instruction available for the beginning recording artist.  Each Guitar Center instructor is put through a rigorous training program, including in person, online, and live webinar training.

About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 220 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
MILWAUKEE, WI - Traveling can be exciting and a chance to get away from the hustle of the real world, but it also can derail a person's healthy routines.  People may become relaxed with their nutrition selections or think that it's too much effort to exercise.  With numerous opportunities to travel - whether for business, family vacations, or weekend getaways - TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, along with the Produce for Better Health Foundation, shares hints to help stay on the wellness track, cut out calories, and feel satisfied.

Eat healthy on the move.
• Bring your own meal for the flight or car ride.  Homemade sandwiches and fresh fruit are a great option.  Not only will you be able to control what you eat, but you will also save time and money.
• Pick up prepackaged fruit and vegetables at the grocery store.  You can also buy peanut butter in a tube or small container to pair with fruit or granola bars.

Be smart with snacks.
• Have a sweet tooth?  Keep dried fruit, which provides disease-fighting antioxidants, handy for snacking instead of candy.  It can also be mixed with nuts and sunflower seeds to create trail mix.
• Pack peppers, celery, or carrots to snack on during a trip.  Resealable containers are perfect for dips, such as ranch dressing, peanut butter, or hummus.
• Frozen grapes make great bite-size snacks and are delicious with low-fat cheese.

Eat out without overdoing it.
• Do your research.  Check out your destination online and look at restaurant menus before the trip.  This will give you an opportunity to find places that serve healthy options.
• Practice eating small portions.  Bring half the meal home or share an entrée with a friend.  Consider choosing two appetizers instead of one entrée.

Give thought to your drinks.
• Switch from soda to low-fat milk, water, or tea with one sugar or a non-nutritive sweetener.
• Opt for tomato juice or vegetable juice on the plane.
• Out for coffee or a smoothie?  Order the smallest size available, request coffee with fat-free or low-fat milk, skip the whipped cream, ask that the smoothie be prepared without added sugar, and look at nutrition facts, if possible.

Watch portions sizes, but don't deprive yourself.
• Use the half-plate rule.  Make fruits and vegetables 50 percent of what you eat at every meal.
• Don't skip your favorite dessert or fried foods.  Eat smaller portions of these foods - just make it a treat, not a regular occurrence. 
• Don't cut out meals.  This may lead to eating too much later in the day.

TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the original, nonprofit weight-loss support and wellness education organization, was established more than 63 years ago to champion weight-loss support and success.  Founded and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, TOPS promotes successful, affordable weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy eating, regular exercise, wellness information, and support from others at weekly chapter meetings. TOPS has about 170,000 members in nearly 10,000 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.

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[DUBUQUE, IA] Indulge in a blissful, mellow buzz with wordcure spoken word series on Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at Monk's Kaffee Pub, 373 Bluff Street in Dubuque. The summer installment of wordcure presents "The Endless Summer Showcase" featuring original work from area creatives exploring words, film, music, and performance. 

This late summer showcase features original work by Lauren Alleyne, Susan Parsons-Cain, Tim Connery, Sunil Malapati, David Morrison, Colin Muenster, and Paula Neuhaus. The artists pay homage to the message of the 1960's documentary surf-genre film The Endless Summer, which reminds us that we can chase the perfect wave by following the summer season around the globe taking craft to uncharted waters. In the film's case, classic longboard surfing, in wordcure's case, the blissful, mellow buzz of celebrating regionalism...the perfect art wave in our own back yard.

wordcure is an independent, quarterly series of free art happenings that offer the community free art and offers writers & creatives a stage to share their work. wordcure was launched by writer and arts administrator Paula Neuhaus in 2009 in an effort to celebrate regionalism mixing writers with musicians, film makers, actors, and playwrights. wordcure's mission is to provide the Dubuque community with artful live entertainment alternatives featuring the diverse creative talent who are living and working in the region. Neuhaus has been delivering free arts programming to the community since 2007 including a monthly reading series featuring regional poets and authors, an open mic session, an annual book project, and a mixed-genre creative writing workshop. Neuhaus has also brought live performances of flow poets and experimental performance artists to Dubuque through her work with the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, Dubuque Area Writers Guild, and Voices From The Warehouse District.

Create your own endless summer with wordcure on Tuesday, August 23, 7 p.m. at Monk's Kaffee Pub, 373 Bluff Street in Dubuque. It's cool in the basement. It's cooler with wordcure in it.

This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. For more information contact Paula Neuhaus at neuhaus.paula@gmail.com or call 563.564.5290.

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September 24 & 25 event to feature 19th century architecture

 GALENA  Ill.  - From a cozy miners' cottage to a grand Second Empire jailhouse,   Galena  's incredible architecture will take center stage during the 44th Annual Tour of Historic Galena Homes. Autumn is always a popular time to visit scenic   Galena  , but add the chance to tour inside five private historic buildings and the lure becomes irresistible.  Preservation, interior decorating, antiques and history are featured elements of the popular event hosted by the Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society. The guided tour runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine, both Saturday and Sunday, September 24 & 25, 2011.

Originally built as a combination bakery, market, and boarding house, farmers who came to   Galena   from a distance to sell their wares could stay upstairs in the Italianate-style Farmers' Home Hotel. Built in 1867 for   Casper   and Balzar Vogel, descendants of the bakers' family occupied the site until 1978, just more than 111 years. The building evolved as an antique shop, and then a restaurant, as a series of owners remodeled the interior spaces. The current owners purchased the Spring Street property in 2001 and opened an inn with nine guest rooms and spacious common areas. Historic architecture, vintage décor, lush gardens and patios, and its close proximity to downtown make this guest house a perennial favorite.

Frank and Betsy Jane Smith built a charming two-story house on   Wight Street   in 1856. Frank was co-owner of the Fuller and Smith Company, wholesale grocers and agents for the Anchor Steamship Line. The two-over-two windows, small second story horizontal windows, and narrow sidelights with multi-paned lights above the centered front door are typical of the late 1850s. The next owner, in 1877, was prominent local dentist, Dr. Franklin Stryker. A native of Prince Edward County, Ontario, he was one of eleven children. After teaching, then training as a dentist, Stryker moved to   Galena   in 1865. He worked the first year for Dr. J. Brown, taking over his dental practice in 1866 and marrying Dr. Brown's daughter, Jennie, soon after. The couple raised four children in the home. After changing hands a number of times, the home was purchased by the current owners in 2009. Saffron-colored built-in cabinets surround the great room fireplace; original honey-hued pine flooring and open spaces make this a cozy home, with a wonderful garden area in the rear.

Built in 1878 at a cost of $16,000, the Old County Jailhouse is  Second Empire  architecture three stories high with a Mansard roof. The top floor had six "airy apartments provided for evil-doers" according to the August 25, 1879 Galena Daily Gazette. The first and second floors were a residence for the Sheriff and his family. As a security feature, the flooring and ceiling of the prisoner area were built of iron beams and brick arches, then covered with two-inch plank, then a heavy iron plate riveted solid. Now exposed as the second floor ceiling, the soaring brick arches provide a delightful industrial feel to the master suite and bedroom areas. Sold by the County in the 1970s, the Old Jail sat empty and deteriorating until 2000 when new owners stabilized the structure and completely rebuilt its distinctive roof, showcased during the 2003 Tour. In 2006 the current owner moved his eclectic collection in and eventually plans to create two condos on the upper floors.

An enchanting miner's cottage nestled into the private hillside behind the Old Jailhouse was built in 1846 by Frederick Schwatka, a Galena Market Master. Originally a two story brick dwelling 30' x 16', the cottage was listed for sale in the January 11, 1853 Weekly Northwestern Gazette: "5 rooms and a kitchen - a first rate Cistern, holding between 70 and 80 barrels of water - a Cow Stable, Shed, and other conveniences. The whole is enclosed with a good substantial fence." Apparently the fence was not substantial enough, as just 10 months later Schwatka advertised a $5 reward for the return of his stray three-year-old red heifer. Purchased in 2008 by the current owners and enjoying its Home Tour debut, the secluded cottage with exposed stone walls is decorated in an artistic, whimsical style.

James Crowley arrived in   Galena   in 1850, wed Mary Allwell and built a house in the mid-1850s at   403 Jackson St  .. Mr. Crowley, a Civil War veteran of the 45th   Illinois  , served as East Galena Township Assessor for 30+ years. The property originally faced   Fourth Street  , no longer used, which ran directly in front of the U.S. Grant Home, just above Crowley House. The Crowleys raised eight children in the original 1,000 sq. ft. 1850s structure that features first floor 24-inch thick stone walls, a warm fireplace and wide plank floors. A kitchen and bedroom were added in 1896.   Crowley   descendants owned the home for 90 years until 1946. The house was last on Tour in 1978, after a renovation which added an office, side porch and garage. The current owners, who purchased it in 1989, made a final addition including a dining room, windowed garden room and exercise room in 2006. The property is eclectic in style, combining the original Federal structure with several additions that blend nicely into a pleasing whole.

A free shuttle service will operate between all tour homes and ticket locations. Tour guides, many in period attire, will provide historic narrative at each home. Free admission to the   Galena   History   Museum   is included with the home tour ticket and will include the new Ghosts of the Grants hologram presentation. During the home tour, the museum will be featuring a new nationally-acclaimed temporary exhibit entitled "Ulysses S. Grant: Soldier," showcasing the military years of   Galena  's favorite son.

The 44th Annual Tour of Historic Galena Homes is sponsored by the   Galena   - Jo Daviess County Historical Society. Tickets are $15, $13 in advance (before September 15); children under 10 are free with an adult. Tickets and maps are available during the tour weekend at the   Old   Train   Depot   Visitor  Information   Center   at   101 Bouthillier St.  , the DeSoto House Hotel at   230 S. Main St.  , the history museum at   211 S. Bench St  , the Gateway to History at  403 S. Main St.   and at any home on the tour. Advance tickets (non-refundable) are available at the   Galena   History   Museum  , or phone 815-777-9129 to purchase by credit card.

For further event information, contact the Historical Society at 815-777-9129 or visit www.galenahistorymuseum.org. Additional area offerings and visitor information may be found at the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.galena.org or by calling 877-464-2536. While in town, visit the CVB's  Old   Train   Depot Visitor Information Center at 101 Bouthillier St. (corner of Park Avenue) for on-site assistance and countywide information.

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(Milan, IL) - The QCAWC is very pleased to announce that Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka will hold a press conference at the Quad City Animal Welfare Center (QCAWC) on Tuesday, August 9th beginning at 1:00 p.m. Our address is 724 West Second Avenue Milan, Illinois.

Comptroller Baar Topinka will be presenting her new program on her website called "Comptroller's Critters" which the QCAWC has animals listed at: http://www.illinoiscomptroller.com

We would like to invite all of you to meet Comptroller Baar Topinka. She has three dogs that she adopted from shelters. Contact Patti McRae with any questions at patti@qcawc.org or

309-787-6830 ext.13.

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Sunday, August 14, 2011   2:00 p.m.
German   American   Heritage   Center
712 West 2nd Street  Davenport  IA   52802

The   German   American   Heritage   Center   presents local educator Bruce Bufe in the first of a series on personal family immigration histories called "My German Story."  This program features the life and times of Franz Gustav Bufe, a German immigrant cigar maker in   Moline   in the l880's.  He was also an artist, a poet, and a keen social critic of his time.  Come experience his poems in translation and explore the themes and views of a common man with an uncommon talent for self-expression. This program is re-scheduled from a spring emergency cancellation. 

Members free; public welcome with $5.00 admission; includes museum exhibits.

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