ST.PAUL, MN (03/17/2010)(readMedia)-- Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. announces that Andrew Carter, son of Tom and Jane Carter of Bettendorf, will be participating in the Varsity Men's Chorus Northland Tour under the direction of Timothy Sawyer, choir conductor. The chorus, 40 strong, presents a concert of rousing fraternal fun, with sacred, folk music and spirituals, and a little surprise thrown in for good measure! In addition, the tour features two guest instrumentalists, Jordan and Colton Cox, brothers from the Northwestern College Orchestra.

Tour dates and locations are as follows:

• Saturday, April 10 at Bemidji Evangelical Free Church, 6 p.m.
• Sunday, April 11 at Laporte Community Baptist Church, 11 a.m.
• Monday, April 12 in Bemidji and Laporte High Schools (students only)
• Tuesday, April 20 at Northwestern College in St. Paul, 7:30 p.m

Carter is currently a senior at Northwestern pursuing a degree in Pastoral Ministries. Carter is a 2004 graduate of Pleasant Valley High School.

All concerts are free and open to the public (with the exception of the April 12 date). For more information visit nwc.edu/music or contact the Northwestern College Department of Music at 866-532-8687.

On Friday, March 19th, Genesis Hospital delivered a semi full of food collected by their employees to Churches United of the Quad City Area to benefit their 26 food pantries throughout the QCA's.

All Saints Lutheran Church, 5002 Jersey Ridge Road, Davenport is one of the 26 food pantries in Churches United food pantry neighborhood network and they have kindly offered their fellowship hall to receive this food.  Volunteers will then be working the first two days of the next week to sort and distribute this food back into the community where it is needed most.

Genesis employees are in the process of collecting 25,000 - 35,000 food items!    With the present economy and the increased need for food in the area, this food couldn't come at a better time!    Last year, over 4300 MORE people walked through Churches United's neighborhood food pantries providing food for almost 13,000 more people than the year before.

WASHINGTON - Chuck Grassley today said that that he will be holding meetings in 25 counties from March 29 - April 6. The visits are part of Grassley's annual meetings in each of Iowa's 99 counties. The Senate will not be in session for a scheduled congressional recess.

"I've met with Iowans in every county, every year I've represented Iowa in the United States Senate. It's this exchange of ideas that gives me important insight directly from Iowans," Grassley said. "Holding a meeting in each of Iowa's 99 counties gives me the opportunity to have an open and honest dialogue with the people I serve in the U.S. Senate."

Grassley's meetings will take him to the counties of Allamakee, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Clay, Clayton, Dallas, Delaware, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmet, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Howard, Kossuth, Lyon, Mitchell, Osceola, Palo Alto, Warren, Winnebago, Winneshiek and Worth.

Grassley will hold town hall meetings in Aplington, Calmar, Cresco, Estherville, Forest City, Garner, Independence, Indianola, Manchester, Mason City, Northwood, Ocheydan, Rock Rapids, Strawberry Point, Waukee, Waukon, West Bend and West Union.

He will tour and meet with employees at Eaton Manufacturing in Spencer. He will also attend a ribbon cutting for the new Hormel Foods Plant in Dubuque.

He will meet with students at St. Ansgar Community High School in St. Ansgar, Charles City High School in Charles City and Harris-Lake Park Middle/High School in Lake Park.  In addition, he will speak with the Algona Rotary in Algona, and will meet with members of the Chamber of Commerce in Hampton.

Here is detailed information about Grassley's upcoming county visits.

Monday, March 29, 2010

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.- hold Warren County Town Hall Meeting, Warren County Administration Building, Board Room, Second Floor, 301 North Buxton Street, Indianola

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.- hold Dallas County Town Hall Meeting, Maple Street Community Center, 445 Maple Street, Waukee

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.- hold Buchanan County Town Hall Meeting, Buchanan County Courthouse, Assembly Room, 210 5th Avenue NE, Independence

Noon - 1:45 p.m.- Attend Hormel Foods Plant Ribbon Cutting, Progressive Processing, LLC, 1205 Chavenelle Court, Dubuque

3 - 4 p.m. - hold Delaware County Town Hall Meeting, Regional Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Event Center, Third Floor, 709 West Main Street, Manchester

4:45 - 5:45 p.m.- hold Clayton County Town Hall Meeting, Strawberry Point Public Library, 401 Commercial Street, Strawberry Point

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - hold Fayette County Town Hall Meeting, Fayette County Courthouse, Assembly Room, 114 North Vine Street, West Union

9:45 - 10:45 a.m. - hold Allamakee County Town Hall Meeting, Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, Community Room, 201 West Main Street, Waukon

Noon - 1 p.m. - hold Winneshiek County Town Hall Meeting, Calmar Public Library, Community Room, 101 South Washington Street, Calmar

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. - hold Howard County Town Hall Meeting, Cresco Bank and Trust, Community Room, 126 Second Avenue SE, Cresco

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. - hold Worth County Town Hall Meeting, Worth County Courthouse, Magistrate Room, 1000 Central Avenue, Northwood

Thursday, April 1, 2010

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - hold Cerro Gordo County Town Hall Meeting, North Iowa Area Community College, Muse-Norris Conference Center, Rooms 180 A, B and C, 500 College Drive, Mason City

9:45 - 10:45 a.m. visit St. Ansgar Community High School, 206 East 8th Street, St. Ansgar

Noon - 1:15 p.m. - visit Charles City High School, #1 Comet Drive, Charles City

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Deliver keynote speech and answer questions at the Hampton Chamber Spring Meeting, Windsor Theatre, 103 Federal Street North, Hampton

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. - hold Butler County Town Hall Meeting, Aplington Community Center, Corner of 10th Street and Parriott Street, Aplington

Monday, April 5, 2010

8 - 9 a.m. - hold Winnebago County Town Hall Meeting, Winnebago County Courthouse, Courtroom, 126 South Clark Street, Forest City

9:45 - 10:45 a.m. - hold Hancock County Town Hall Meeting, Garner Education Center, 325 West 8th Street, Garner

Noon - 1 p.m. - speak with Algona Rotary, Algona Country Club, 400 Country Club Road, Algona

2 - 3 p.m. - hold Palo Alto County Town Hall Meeting, West Bend Golf Course, Club House, 4829 580th Avenue, West Bend

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. - hold Emmet County Town Hall Meeting, Iowa Lakes Community College, Auditorium, Room 16, 300 South 18th Street, Estherville

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Tour and answer questions from employees at Eaton Manufacturing, Power Division, Hydraulics Business, 803 32nd Avenue West, Spencer

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. - Visit Harris-Lake Park High School, Harris-Lake Park Middle/High School, 905 South Market, Lake Park

Noon - 1 p.m. - Hold Osceola County Town Hall Meeting, Senior Activities Center, 845 Main Street, Ocheydan

2:45 - 3:45 p.m. - Hold Lyon County Town Hall Meeting, US Bank, Community Room, 203 South 2nd Avenue, Rock Rapids

***Senator Grassley will be available for 15 minutes to the press following each of these events. Grassley is a guest of the service clubs, schools, businesses and events. Please contact those organizations with any questions about availability during those meetings.

-30-

Grassley Urges Japan to Address Trade Barriers to U.S. Beef and Gelatin;

Insurance, Banking, and Express Delivery Services

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, with Sen. Max Baucus, chairman, today urged the Japanese government to remove scientifically unfounded barriers to U.S. beef and bovine-origin gelatin imports and the preferential treatment that Japan Post entities have received in Japan's insurance, banking, and express delivery markets at the expense of private sector competitors.

"Millions of Americans eat U.S. beef every day without any health problems," Grassley said.  "The scientific evidence put forward by international arbiters confirms the safety of U.S. beef.  Also, Japan continues to block exports of U.S. bovine-origin gelatin, most of which is produced in Iowa, although this product is safe.  Every country that enjoys the benefits of international trade is obligated to follow the rules, whether the issue is product safety or fair competition in the financial services sector."

Grassley and Baucus sent a letter to the Japanese ambassador to the United States.  The text of their letter follows.  The Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over international trade.

March 16, 2010

Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki

Embassy of Japan

2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C.  20008

 

Dear Ambassador Fujisaki:

We are writing with regard to certain long-standing barriers imposed by Japan to imports of U.S. goods and services.

Japan continues to place restrictions on imports of U.S. beef due to alleged concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) that are scientifically unwarranted.  The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) determined in 2007 that U.S. beef derived from cattle of all ages is safe due to safeguards undertaken by the United States.  Moreover, millions of Americans consume U.S. beef from cattle of all ages every day, so the safety of this product cannot seriously be in doubt.  Yet Japan still limits imports of U.S. beef to beef from animals aged twenty months or younger.  This scientifically unfounded barrier to imports of U.S. beef is causing economic hardship for cattle and beef producers in Montana and Iowa.  We urge Japan to base its beef trade policies on science and to open its market to all U.S. beef.

Also citing BSE concerns, Japan has prohibited imports of U.S.-produced bovine-origin gelatin for human consumption since 2004.  Japan's policy is at direct odds with OIE recommendations, which provide that this U.S. product can be traded safely.  The Japanese ban on imports of this bovine product is negatively impacting Montana and Iowa cattle producers, and it has led to job losses in Iowa's gelatin manufacturing sector.  We urge Japan to lift its scientifically unjustified prohibition on imports of U.S.-produced bovine-origin gelatin for human consumption.

Finally, we understand that Japan is in the final stages of drafting legislation on Japan Post to submit to the Diet.  We have long been concerned about the preferential treatment that Japan Post entities have received in Japan's insurance, banking, and express delivery markets and the negative impact of that treatment on Japan Post's private sector competitors.  We urge Japan to address these concerns in its legislation so that U.S. and other private sector suppliers receive the equal treatment that Japan's international obligations require.

We look forward to improved economic relations between the United States and Japan once these serious trade concerns are resolved.

Sincerely,

Max Baucus, Chairman and Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Member