03 Oct 2011

2011 David R. Collins Children's Literature Festival

By Steve Hart

Event Date: October 25, 2011

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

 

Reading is FUNdamental.  It's more than a slogan.  It's an established fact.  Success in school and success in life demands that children acquire solid reading skills.  The role of teachers is crucial, but the late Moline teacher and children's author David R. Collins hoped to help teachers inspire a love of reading and writing among children by exposing them to the writers and illustrators behind the books they read.  Thus was born the Children's Literature Festival.  Now, 30 years later, the Children's Literature Festival is still reaching out to area schools and their students.  The latest?and we hope greatest?chapter of the Festival unfolds on Tuesday, October 25, from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the RiverCenter in Davenport.

Quad City children in grades 3rd through 6th are invited to the Children's Literature Festival to learn from an all-star lineup of authors, illustrators, and storytellers. Included in this year's cast of presenters are: Claire Vanderpool, 2011 Newbery Award-winning author of Moon Over Manifest; Belinda Holbrook,  a Davenport author who tells stories with string figures; local poet Ryan Collins; illustrator David Houk; Chris Turnipseed, a Davenport teacher-librarian and member of the Riverbend Storytelling Guild; Pavane Gorrepati and Ramya Prabhu, author and illustrator, respectively, of A Buzzy Bee Tale; Ann Hailey, author of the Fishscale Girl series; Lisa Riebe, author of the Pond Punkies series; Cara Fonteyne and Suzy Sanchez, writer and illustrator, respectively, of Cooper Moves In; and Ann Boaden and Karin Youngberg, Augustana College professors who write novels for young readers under the penname Ann Young. These festival authors, illustrators, and storytellers will meet with assigned groups to discuss their work, share ideas, and answer questions.

Adults would find such a lineup of talent impressive.  Children should find it educational and inspirational.  Each elementary school in the Mississippi Valley community is invited to share in the excitement! Homeschooled children are also encouraged to participate.

Registration forms are available through the Midwest Writing Center and Davenport Public Library. An "Adult Supervisor" (parent, teacher, librarian, or friend) must accompany every five students. Cost for each person is $5. Students should bring a box lunch.

Books and artwork by our lineup of authors and illustrators will be available for purchase and autographing. Proceeds from these sales will be used for future festivals.

Also included in the day is an interactive voyage on the ill-fated passenger liner Titanic with Captain Rick Sundin.

The David R. Collins Children's Literature Festival is made possible by grants from the Riverboat Development Authority, Scott County Regional Authority, Moline Foundation, and Bi-State Literacy Council. Other partners include the Midwest Writing Center and Davenport Public Library.

For more information about the festival, contact Tom Miller, Children's Literature Festival Board President, at 563-332-8967.

***
03 Oct 2011

Niabi Zoo Hosts Wine Tasting and Art Expo to Raise Money for Elephants

By Marc Heinzman

Coal Valley, IL - September 23, 2011 - Niabi Zoo has announced an all-new and fun event to benefit the construction of a larger and more modern elephant exhibit. The new event, titled Wines for Wildlife & Art Expo: Presented by the Grape Life, is an after-hours wine tasting that offers attendees the chance to sample a variety of wines for a good cause. Attendees will enjoy music and appetizers in a fun and casual atmosphere. Wines for Wildlife & Art Expo: Presented by The Grape Life takes place on zoo grounds on Saturday, October 1, 2011, from 6:00 pm to 10:00pm.

"Niabi Zoo is extremely proud to be the only zoo in the state of Illinois to feature elephants as part of its collection," says Assistant Zoo Director Marc Heinzman. "Our two Asian elephants, Babe and Sophie, are the biggest stars of the Zoo, both figuratively and literally. They deserve a larger and more modern habitat, and we hope to add a third elephant sometime after construction is completed."

The estimated exhibit cost is close to $4 million, and Niabi Zoo is hoping to offset some of that cost with a variety of fundraising activities, such as Wines for Wildlife & Art Expo: Presented by The Grape Life. In addition to the wine tasting, the event will also feature an art gallery consisting of masterpieces from local artists and even zoo animals such as elephants, lions, snakes, and birds. "We have a lot of artists here at Niabi Zoo," says Heinzman, "and they love to paint."

Tickets for the event are $40 for zoo members and $45 for non-members in advance, or $50 for all at the gate. The Zoo is also selling Double Mangnum 4- packs of tickets at $150 for members and $170 for non-members. Call 309-799-3482 ext. 242 or email events@niabizoo.com to purchase tickets.

03 Oct 2011

TEAM offers free data center seminars in Davenport

By Cindy Tomlinson

What:
A free, upcoming seminar will help businesses understand the difference between building or buying data center space. The "Build vs. Buy" seminar is hosted by TEAM Companies.

Deciding whether to lease data center space or build a data center requires businesses to consider the financial risk/investment, ROI, operational flexibility, future growth, and virtualization in order to determine the right solution.

Who should attend:
CIO's looking for an understanding of assessing growth, capacity, consolidation, risk, and benefits related to operating a data center or colocating equipment within a data center facility. The conversation will focus on the most effective and efficient ways to understand and determine a company's future data center strategic "Road Map." Discussion will center on real life challenges and solutions such as:

  • Determining the company's future Data Center strategy;
  • Why the company's data center always seems to be running out of power or cooling;
  • The advantages/disadvantages of building a data center or using a current hosted data center facility;
  • Recognizing when the company will run out of Data Center capacity; and
  • Risk of cooling and power capacity issues related to consolidating servers, storage, and other equipment.

When:
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011
Registration/networking begins at 3 p.m.
Seminar starts at 3:30 p.m. with happy hour immediately afterward

Where:
Hotel Blackhawk
200 E. 3rd St., Davenport

Speaker:
Jeff Gilmer, a senior partner with Excipio Consulting, has more than 30 years of IT experience. He will discuss the 'Real World' issues surrounding Data Centers today. Excipio has completed more than 400 data center assessments in the last 30 months, for both public and private organizations ranging in size from 350 to more than 100,000 employees, including: Baxter Labs, Carlson Companies, Lowes, MD Anderson, US Bank, and the states of Minn., Wash., Mich., and Penn.

RSVP:
For more information and to register, visit http://www.teamseminarseries.com

A little about TEAM
TEAM Companies provides wholesale data center lease and colocation products. TEAM data centers are designed for the high availability using state of the art design and construction methodologies. TEAM facilities are SAS 70 Type II audited with 7×24 security staff monitoring the buildings. TEAM Companies owns and operates data centers in Des Moines and Cedar Falls, Iowa; Madison, Wis.; and Eden Prairie and St. Paul, Minn.

03 Oct 2011

Nova Singers Opens 26th Season with Voices and Keys

By Nicole Andersen

Nova Singers, under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, presents two performances of Voices and Keys, Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Recital Hall, Knox College, Galesburg, and on Sunday, October 9 at 4:00 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Moline.

 

Discover the stunning blend of piano and choir in Nova Singers' 26th season opener.  These concerts feature the dramatic and virtuosic Mid-Winter Songs by Morten Lauridsen, a set of five songs that revolve around a common winter motif. Also included in the program are several charming part songs by Schubert and Brahms, and American folk songs, all featuring dazzling accompaniments.  Joining Nova Singers for these opening concerts is guest pianist Ashlee Mack.

 

Specializing in contemporary music, pianist Ashlee Mack has performed solo and chamber music with new-music organizations such as the Society for Chromatic Art, Vox Novus (New York City), New Music Forum (San Francisco), and the Iowa Composers Forum. She has given recitals across the United States, in Germany (Breisach and Freiburg), and Italy (American Academy in Rome). Her performances of Odds and Ends by Robert Morris and For Milton by Christian Carey will be featured on an upcoming CD commemorating Milton Babbitt. Her recording of James Romig's Transparencies was recently released on Navona Records (distributed by Capstone). Mack earned her degree in piano performance at Bucknell University where she studied with Lois Svard. She has furthered her studies with pianists Michael Adcock (Washington, DC) and Alan Huckleberry (University of Iowa). Mack is currently the Coordinator of Piano Instruction at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Nova Singers, a professional vocal ensemble under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, hopes to share this fantastic listening experience with you.  Nova Singers is known for bringing a wide variety of choral music to its audiences, and for the spirit and charm the singers impart to their music.  Dr. Lane has been serving the greater Galesburg and Quad-Cities communities for over twenty-five years, bringing her passion for music and expressive singing to audiences and singers alike.

 

Tickets for this concert are available through Nova's office and at the door.  Admission is $16 for adults and $12 for seniors.  Students are admitted free of charge.  Voices and Keys is sponsored by OSF St. Mary Medical Center. Nova Singers' 2011-2012 season is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. For information about tickets, recordings, or other Nova Singers performances, please call Nova Singers at 309-341-7038 or email nova@knox.edu. Information is also available at www.novasingers.com.
03 Oct 2011

Local author Gary Metivier of Davenport, condensed life story may be published in Reader's Digest.

By Nicholas Depew
Already posted on facebook.com/ReadersDigest

 

Local Dad Learns that Kids Take Things Literally

 

(New York, NY - September 23, 2011) Gary Metivier of Davenport, Iowa is one of the 150-word life stories being considered for publication in an upcoming issue of Reader's Digest magazine. Metivier's story is available for viewing at facebook.com/ReadersDigest. Locals can also show support by voting for Metivier's story or any others they like at facebook.com/ReadersDigest.

His story:

"Doctor's Orders" by Gary Metivier

 

Our five year old son's odd behavior started the night following a brother-induced head injury. Little Adam, with his scalp staples securely in place and somewhat bent spectacles pushed up high on his nose, was saying things really out of character. Examples: "I want candy before supper," and "I can do or have whatever I want." Was he just working the sympathy thing? He's not a spoiled kid, but 'was' acting quite -spoiled! A couple days later we finally asked him, "Why do you keep acting like this? You are a good kid." His answer: "The doctor said I can do whatever I want with the staples in my head. So, I have a whole week to do whatever I want!" Turns out he heard us ask the doctor if there were any restrictions as his head heals. The well intended doctor's answer, "No restrictions. He can do whatever he wants."

This is all part of the Reader's Digest continual effort to enrich and simplify Americans' lives.  This particular project "Your Life...The Reader's Digest Version" celebrates the launch of the new book, "Life... The Reader's Digest Version," which is also the first of a new series, by creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people's personal stories to be widely read and for the opportunity of one story to be published in Reader's Digest to its more than 30 million readers, plus be the recipient of a major cash award. Several runner-up stories will also receive attention and cash prizes.  Stories will be voted on by consumers and winners will ultimately be selected by Reader's Digest editors.  Americans can vote for and submit 150-word stories about lessons, simple advice, funny moments and other life stories at facebook.com/ReadersDigest.

03 Oct 2011

Braley Delivers US Capitol Flag to One of Iowa's Newest Residents

By Jeff Giertz

Braley helped end international bureaucratic nightmare for new parents of Nigerian adoptee

 

Washington, DC - On Monday in Des Moines, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will meet one of Iowa's newest residents and present him with an American flag flown over the US Capitol.

Joseph Craig is the Nigerian-born adopted son of Jonathan and Kayla Craig of Des Moines.  In July, the Craigs learned the adoption of their son was on the verge of being blocked by diplomatic red tape and bureaucratic bungling by US and Nigerian authorities.  Scott Porter, Kayla's father and a Waterloo resident, turned to Braley for help navigating every parent's worst nightmare - and on August 27th, Joseph arrived in Des Moines.
03 Oct 2011

Braley Calls on Congress to Stay in Town and Complete Work on Flood Funds

By Jeff Giertz

Monday deadline looming, but Congress skips town before funding FEMA disaster relief 

 

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today called on Congress to stay in town to provide desperately-needed funding to FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, which includes support for Iowa flood recovery, and finish its work on a spending bill to temporarily fund government operations.   According to news reports, FEMA could run out of funding as early as Monday if no spending bill is passed.

"It disgusts me that Iowa flood recovery has gotten caught in Congress' latest juvenile partisan game.  Helping people get back on their feet after a disaster is the most basic function of government - it shouldn't be an issue bogged down in Washington politics.

 

"Rather than going home for the weekend, Congress should stay in town, do its job, and make good on a three year promise to fund Iowa disaster recovery.  Thousands of Iowans haven't gotten a day off since this year's flooding ripped their lives apart.  Why should Congress?"

 

Congress hasn't yet passed a funding bill for the fiscal year that begins on October 1st.  For the past week, House and Senate leaders have argued over bills that would temporarily fund US government operations until November 18th and add money to FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund to continue paying the cost of disaster recovery from this year's Iowa floods and other natural disasters.  No bills have passed into law.

# # #
03 Oct 2011

TRACTOR REPAIR, RESTORATION BUSINESS EARNS IOWA FARM BUREAU'S RENEW RURAL IOWA ENTREPRENEUR OF MONTH AWARD

By Rick Martin

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Sept. 23, 2011 - Gary Hoefling turned his passion for tractor mechanics into a thriving business and earned the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's (IFBF) Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur of the Month award. As owner of The Motor Works and G.H. Repair in Spencer, Hoefling specializes in repairing and rebuilding John Deere tractors. He not only refurbishes the outside of the 30 and 40 series John Deere tractors, but produces parts (carburetors, in particular) and produces and sells them in the United States and around the world to customers in France, Germany and South Africa.

His attraction to tractors started at a young age on the family's farm. "I wanted to be the mechanic on the farm," explains Hoefling. In the last decade, he and his staff of five full-time and three part-time employees have repaired 10,000 tractor carburetors.

The Motor Works and G.H. Repair were started in 1993. The Motor Works was started as part of a northwest Iowa John Deere dealership, specializing in complete drop-in replacement and repowering for engines. In 2002, The Motor Works was acquired by G.H. Repair and moved to Spencer.

Today, Hoefling isn't simply fixing the green machines, but helping them be more "green," or environmentally friendly. He's making the machines use gasoline more efficiently by making them compatible with ethanol. His business strives to be greener, as well, using rain gardens, geothermal heating and cooling, permeable pavement and natural grasses and prairie areas.

The Clay County Farm Bureau nominated Hoefling's business for the award. County president Barry Anderson praises Hoefling for his contribution to the community's economy. "This business is huge for our rural area, as well as cities surrounding us," says Anderson.

Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an IFBF initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring and financial resources. Registration is open for the Nov. 2 "Business Success" seminar, featuring Curt Nelson, president of the Entrepreneurial Development Center. The seminar will be held at the Iowa Farm Bureau in West Des Moines. To register, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.

-30-

03 Oct 2011

Bettendorf's Jessica Emard Named to Central College Dean's List

By readMedia

PELLA, IA (09/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Jessica Emard, a senior German studies and English major, earned a spot on the spring 2011 dean's list at Central College.

Emard, a native of Bettendorf, Iowa, is the daughter of Douglas and Karen Emard and a graduate of Bettendorf High School.

The honor is awarded to full-time students who achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale while taking 12 or more graded credit hours for the semester.

Central College is a private, four-year, residential, liberal arts college in Pella, Iowa. Central's academic program offers 39 majors leading to a bachelor's degree along with pre-professional programs and advising. Central was recognized in the 2011 U.S.News & World Report's annual rankings of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation.

More information about Central College is available at www.central.edu or by calling 877-462-3687.

30 Sep 2011

Grand Opening of the Café at RME

By The Buzz Gallery of modern Art

Friday, September 30, 2011

Grand Opening of the Café at RM

(Davenport, IA)  Thanks to the Scott County Regional Authority, River Music Experience (RME) is proud to announce that its first floor renovations are complete.  The first floor space, formally Mojo's, will now be known simply as the RME, and all performances in the space will be on the RME Community Stage, as always.  Improvements include a new menu featuring items from Woodfire Grill, booths, and an updated performance area. Additionally, a modular, sliding wall was installed at the south end of the space to improve the listening experience for patrons when there are simultaneous performances and events on both floors of the RME.

"We're very excited about the fact that the new improvements will enable us to host a wider range of performances and educational programs on the RME Community Stage," said Tom Swanson, Executive Director of the River Music Experience. "We're truly grateful to the SCRA and all of the RME's community partners, including Lujack Lexus of the Quad Cities, WQAD, the RDA, Quad City Cultural Trust, Bechtel Trusts, and all of the sponsors and donors that made this long-time vision become reality. We look forward to providing the Quad Cities and the region with an even better experience here at the RME."

In addition to the myriad offerings already taking place at the RME, two new programs will be featured on the RME Community Stage. Mandolin Junction, a bluegrass and old-time music jam is a friendly, free, open jam aimed at encouraging the performance, preservation and appreciation of bluegrass and old-time music. The program is open to listeners and all musicians who play fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and other acoustic instruments.

Blues Café is a blues improvisation program featuring professional musicians from the area, as well as the occasional visiting artist or special guest.

Fans of the RME are encouraged visit the new space for lunch or participate in the organization's array of educational programming and live performances.

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