The flip-flops are on.  The lemonade is made.  It's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy summer!  There's nothing children look forward to more than summer vacation - but it's also an important time to give thought to the upcoming school year.  In a time of cash-strapped school districts cutting programs and consolidating classes, Rivermont Collegiate continues to provide students with a comprehensive education.  Rivermont, located in Bettendorf, is the Quad Cities' only private, independent, nonsectarian college-prep school for students in preschool through twelfth grade.

At Rivermont, small class sizes, individualized attention, and high academic standards result in students who nourish personal talents and passions while gaining a critical foundation to life and learning.  Rivermont infuses a traditional curriculum with innovative ideas and technology, as well as the freedom to take risks in academics, leadership, athletics, arts, and service.  Foreign language instruction begins in kindergarten and individualized college counseling begins in the ninth grade.  100% of Rivermont graduates are accepted to four-year colleges and universities and over 90% earn four-year renewable college merit scholarships.

What are you waiting for?  Come explore Rivermont Collegiate at our Summer Open House on Thursday, June 9^th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. This casual event gives families the opportunity to tour campus and explore our philosophy and programs.  Rivermont Collegiate is located at 1821 Sunset Drive in Bettendorf, directly off 18^th street behind K&K Hardware.  No appointment necessary!  Join us!

For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate or Thursday's Summer Open House, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 ormurray@rvmt.org.

-END-

Iowa Members Support Capping Direct Payments to Farmers Making +$250K

Washington, DC - Today, Congressmen Bruce Braley, Leonard Boswell, and Dave Loebsack joined together to push back against cuts that would hurt Iowa farmers, the state's economy, and America's energy independence by slashing crop insurance and gutting renewable energy programs that encourage the harvesting of agriculture energy inputs and help rural gas stations to purchase ethanol blend pumps.

In a letter to leadership of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Federal Drug Administration, and related agencies, the Members urged the Senators to take a second look at the House's cuts to crop insurance, renewable energy programs, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The House Members asked the Subcommittee to retain the $250,000 income cap leveled ondirect farm payments in the legislation.

"Gas prices are climbing and crippling family budgets all over this country, but Washington politicians are trying to undercut the alternative fuel industry that helps lower gas prices and creates thousands of jobs. It makes absolutely no sense," said Rep. Braley. "Hard working families and thousands of good-paying jobsdepend on this funding."

"With gas prices still high and concerns over what or who is exactly driving them up, it is outrageous to pull funding from renewable energy programs that have had an impact on reducing our country's dependence on foreign oil and created thousands of jobs, especially while still paying out subsidies to oil giants like BP and ExxonMobil," said Rep. Boswell, a senior Member of the House Agriculture Committee. "The House FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill is short-sighted, and embodies what happens when appropriators legislate without talking to Members of the Agriculture Committee who come from agriculture states and understand what it requires to run a farm and get food to our tables."

"Renewable fuels have shown to be a critical component in our efforts to reduce our dependence onforeign oil," said Rep. Loebsack. "The House's proposed cuts to crop insurance and cuts to energy infrastructure hurt Iowa's economy and our nation's security."

A copy of the letter is available here: http://go.usa.gov/Dm7

###

Amana - You' ll have to see it to believe it! What starts out so innocently quickly spirals out of control as a tiny little mouse (with way too much energy) turns a home upside down in The Old Creamery Theatre for Young Audiences production of If You Give AMouse A Cookie.

The show opens Saturday June 18 at 1 p.m. on the Main Stage at 39 38th Ave., Amana and runs through July 2. Shows are at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, with weekday matinees at 10 a.m. on June 21, 23 and 29. Day cares and summer camp groups are welcome but matinees are filling up quickly, so call today.

Directed by Sean McCall, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie is adapted by Jody Davidson from the book by Laura Joffe Numeroff. The cast consists of Old Creamery regulars Nicholas Hodge and Ian Zahren.

Tickets are $8 per person for reserved seating. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for information or to purchase your tickets.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest. We thank KGAN and Fox 28, our 2011 season media sponsor.

WASHINGTON – Applications for fall semester internships in the Iowa and Washington, D.C. offices of Senator Chuck Grassley are due June 15.

Grassley said he encourages young Iowans who are interested in learning more about government to apply.  "Spending a semester working in a congressional office is a good way for college students and new graduates to learn more about the legislative branch of the federal government and to gain valuable work experience," he said.  "Exposure to the work of a Senate office can enhance a college education and make students more competitive job applicants when they graduate.  These internships are available to students in all areas of study. 

Full- and part-time internships are available for Iowans in Grassley's offices in Washington, D.C., Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.  The fall internships run from late August to mid-December.  Interns assist staff members with administrative, legislative and communications work, including that of Grassley's staff on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he serves as Ranking Member.

-30-