20 Jul 2010

2010 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FAIR

By Phil Roberts
Davenport, Iowa (July 19, 2010) -- Grandstand acts are a major part of the Great Mississippi Valley Fair, set for Tuesday through Sunday, Aug. 3-8, at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, 2815 W. Locust St., Davenport.

The acts are also a sizeable expense.

"Our budget for talent was $650,000 this year," said fair manager Bob Fox, who handles the booking through a talent agency. "I did it for $600,000, so we're under budget. But that doesn't include the sound and lights."

Here's the lineup:
Tuesday -- Montgomery Gentry.
Wednesday -- Kellie Pickler.
Thursday -- Dierks Bentley.
Friday -- ZZ Top.
Saturday -- Eric Church.
Sunday -- Blake Shelton.

"I think it's a good, varied lineup this year," Fox said.

But he also noted that booking the grandstand acts is not easy. "It's getting more and more difficult every year to reinvent the wheel," he said.

Fox said he has to locate appropriate acts whose routing -- their itinerary for shows before and after the fair -- brings them near Davenport and allows them time to stop and perform during the fair. The artists also need to be affordable.

Admission to the grandstand show at 8 each night at the 91st Mississippi Valley Fair is by Fun Card only, with the exception of children 3 and under, who are admitted free. The Fun Cards, which also cover daily admission to the grounds, are $40 each and are for sale at the fair office and select area businesses.

"We've held the price on the Fun Card this year, and look at the bargain," said Fox. "Look at the value -- six days of major entertainment for $40."

Those who don't buy a Fun Card can still enjoy the fair's many varied exhibits and grounds attractions. Daily admission tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for children 4-12. Children 3 and under are admitted free.

For more information, click on www.mvfair.com or phone (563) 326-5338.

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20 Jul 2010

Local students named to Augustana College spring term Dean's List

By readMedia

ROCK ISLAND, IL (07/19/2010)(readMedia)-- 864 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2009-10 spring term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.  From our Quad Cities area, the following students have earned this honor:

  • Peter Wessels from Bettendorf, IA, a junior majoring in advising business and accounting.
  • Regina Jarrell from Davenport, IA, a junior majoring in art.
  • Audrey Waner from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in art.
  • Alex Sieg from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in biochemistry.
  • Katherine Voigt from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Joshua Woodham from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Rachel Shipley from Leclaire, IA, a senior majoring in business management and accounting.
  • Samuel Alvarado from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in chemistry.
  • Adam DeSimone from Bettendorf, IA, a junior majoring in economics and math.
  • Kelli Schledewitz from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in teaching English.
  • Megan Lonergan from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Catherine Ziegler from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in English.
  • Henry Stauffenberg from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in geology.
  • Anthony Ash from Davenport, IA, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Thomas Harris from Davenport, IA, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Kelsey Lovaas from Davenport, IA, a first year majoring in liberal studies.
  • Moselle Singh from Le Claire, IA, a first year majoring in liberal studies.
  • Gaetano Iaccarino from Davenport, IA, a junior majoring in music performance-instrumental and anthropology.
  • Jasmine Brooks from Davenport, IA, a sophomore majoring in political science.
  • Alannah Golden from Davenport, IA, a sophomore majoring in pre-elementary education.
  • Manisha Kumar from Davenport, IA, a sophomore majoring in pre-medicine and biology.
  • Rayna Narvaez from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in psychology and Spanish.
  • Bridget Reich from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in psychology.
  • Victoria Hays from Milan, IL, a senior majoring in accounting.
  • Lauren Reid from Sherrard, IL, a junior majoring in advising business.
  • Felipe Villagomez from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in anthropology and advising business.
  • Meghan Showers from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in Asian studies and political science.
  • Courtney Brown from Port Byron, IL, a junior majoring in biology and pre-medicine.
  • Anthony Chesser from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Mohammed Hussain from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in biology and pre-medicine.
  • Rebekka Laverenz from Coal Valley, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • James Sales from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Anna Smith from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology and psychology.
  • Mark Stumphy from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Josephine Swanson from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in biology.
  • Astrid Tello-Rodriguez from Milan, IL, a sophomore majoring in biology.
  • Michael Kendall from Silvis, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Benjamin Marine from Coal Valley, IL, a senior majoring in biology, pre-medicine and business advising.
  • Allison Mulherin from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Srividya Prabhu from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology and pre-medicine.
  • Bret Vandewoestyne from Silvis, IL, a senior majoring in biology.
  • Adelle DeVolder from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in business finance.
  • Eric Wigand from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in business finance.
  • Deanna Zwicker from Orion, IL, a senior majoring in business finance and economics.
  • Geoffrey Schoon from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in business finance and accounting.
  • Alyssa Schroeder from Coal Valley, IL, a senior majoring in business finance and accounting.
  • Angel Traman from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in business management.
  • Amy Malmstead from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in business marketing.
  • Janelle VanWatermeulen from Silvis, IL, a junior majoring in business marketing.
  • Katherine Vander Vennet from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in business marketing and communication studies.
  • Luke Osborne from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in classics with Latin emphasis.
  • Laurel Williams from Milan, IL, a junior majoring in communication science & disorders and English.
  • Kevin Carton from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in communication studies and French.
  • Olivia Husman from East Moline, IL, a senior majoring in communication studies.
  • Andrew Showers from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in computer science and philosophy.
  • Carrie Bestian from Taylor Ridge, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Megan Ferris from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Darla Smith from Port Byron, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Paul Lambrecht from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in teaching history.
  • Jasmin Landeros from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Monica Seif from East Moline, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.
  • Amber Soike from East Moline, IL, a junior majoring in elementary education.
  • Neil Friberg from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in English.
  • Nicholas Borchert from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in English and philosophy.
  • Crystina Mayfield from Coal Valley, IL, a junior majoring in French.
  • Michael Seevers from Cordova, IL, a senior majoring in geography.
  • Sydney Royal from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in German and accounting.
  • Thomas Lemon from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in history and business management.
  • Andrew Shaffer from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in history.
  • Mary Lambrecht from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Douglas Peters from Port Byron, IL, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Jonathan Smith from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Chelsea Vickerman from Silvis, IL, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Calvin Vo from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in liberal studies.
  • Samuel Anderson from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in math and computer science.
  • Martha Ade from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in music and English.
  • Theodore Teros from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in philosophy.
  • Bryan Schuldt from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in physics.
  • Owen Engstrom from Sherrard, IL, a junior majoring in political science.
  • Courtney Vandewiele from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in political science and accounting.
  • Nicholas Camlin from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in political science.
  • Jacquelyn Martini from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in political science.
  • Leart Neziroski from East Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in pre-medicine and biology.
  • Justine Nuguid from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in pre-medicine and biology.
  • Sarah Potter from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in psychology.
  • Jennifer Youngs from Taylor Ridge, IL, a junior majoring in psychology.
  • Maria Vital from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in Spanish.
  • Audrey Taylor from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in teaching biology.
  • Brianna Dyer from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in teaching English.
  • Nicole Johnson from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in teaching English.
  • Kayla Papish from East Moline, IL, a senior majoring in teaching math and math.
19 Jul 2010

Quad City Animal Welfare Center Tacos on Tuesday

By Patti Lahn

(Milan, IL) - Mulligan's Valley Pub, located at 310 West 1st Avenue in Coal Valley, will host a fundraiser for the Quad City Animal Welfare Center (QCAWC) on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, beginning at 5:00 pm.  Enjoy tacos with a $5.00 donation.  There will also be raffle items and a 50/50 drawing.  Proceeds from this event will benefit the homeless animals at the QCAWC.

The QCAWC is the only full service, no-kill animal shelter located in the Quad Cities.  Our mission is a shelter for homeless animals, to support a spay and neuter program, and to provide humane education.  Please cal 309-787-6830, ext 10, for more information.

19 Jul 2010

A German Tradition Comes to the Quad Cities at the German American Heritage Center on Sunday July 25th.

By Kathryn Seyfarth

DAVENPORT, IOWA (July 16, 2010) - Julie Wall of Trinity Lutheran School is bringing a German Tradition to the Quad Cities with German School Cones. The event will be held at the German American Heritage Center on July 25th at 2:00 PM. Cost is free with museum admission and free for museum members.

Since the early 19th century, the rite of passage for children in German speaking areas as they entered formal schooling was celebrated with the gifting of School Cones (Schultuten). Julie Wall is the artist in residence at Trinity Lutheran School and is working with her students to bring this tradition to the Quad Cities. School Cones are also referred to as Zuckeruete meaning sweet cone. In Germany, children attend the first day with their parents and grandparents, often dressed in their best outfit. The older students put on a performance followed by an short introduction, class photographs, and individual photographs with the children's school cones. School Cones are made with paper and ribbon and often times end up being as tall as the child. They can be filled with small gifts, school supplies, and plenty of candy and chocolate. Join us on Sunday, July 25th and make your child a traditional German School Cone to make their first day of school bitter sweet.

For more information on the museum's exhibits, programs, events, classes, and workshops, visit www.gahc.org or call 563-322-8844. General Admission is: Adults: $5; Seniors: $4; Children (5-17 years old): $3; Free for children under 5. Museums members are free. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturday open 10 am- 4 pm; Sunday open 12 pm- 4 pm.

-END-

19 Jul 2010

Taco John's® Tries a New Recipe - Facebook and Free Food

By Rick Martin

What would you do to earn free food? Take your picture in front of a restaurant? Submit a picture standing in front of your city's population sign? Taco John's is hoping its customers will do all those things and more as it rolls out a new online rewards game called "My Town Mania."

Customers are rewarded for engaging with Taco John's online by posting photos and videos of themselves, family members and friends eating Taco John's menu items and interacting with the brand through various missions. These missions will feature local settings and community landmarks beyond the Taco John's restaurants. Customers earn free food, coupons and merchandise, like retro t-shirts featuring some of Taco John's historic logos, as they reach higher point levels.

"Taco John's customers have deep connections to their communities. This is a fun, natural next step for our 'My Town. My Taco John's' campaign to go digital," states Renée Middleton, Vice President of Marketing for Taco John's. "We want it to be easy for customers to play, so we've made My Town Mania available at www.MyTacoJohns.com and on Facebook." After joining, they will receive a coupon good for FREE Potato Olés®.

Customers will be able to join an online community and see other players from their hometown. A leader board will track who has the most points and how many missions have been completed. Integration with Facebook makes it easy to share the game with friends on the social media super site.

"To keep customers engaged we're also offering bonus missions," says Middleton. "These missions will be time sensitive and reward first responders. But most of all, we hope all Taco John's customers will try My Town Mania and have fun earning free food and awards."

Signup for My Town Mania is available at www.MyTacoJohns.com and http://apps.facebook.com/mytacojohns/

Fast Facts:

  • The first Taco John's opened in 1969. Today more than 400 Taco John's restaurants are located in 24 states, primarily in the Great Plains and Midwest.
  • One of Taco John's signature products is Potato Olés - crispy, round golden potato nuggets lightly seasoned with secret seasonings.
  • Taco Tuesday® is one of the most successful and recognizable Value Days offered by Taco John's. Each Tuesday, crispy tacos are sold at a special discount price. Taco Tuesday started in 1983.
19 Jul 2010

Dr. Seuss Characters in Butter at 2010 Iowa State Fair

By readMedia

DES MOINES, IA (07/15/2010)(readMedia)-- The world-famous Iowa State Fair Butter Cow will share the spotlight this year with characters from Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Both the butter Jersey cow and Seuss characters will be on display in the Agriculture Building's 40-degree cooler throughout the Fair, August 12-22.

Butter sculptor Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines plans to take Fairgoers young and old through the story of Green Eggs and Ham, the witty children's book published by Seuss in 1960.

The Butter Cow starts with a wood, metal, wire and steel mesh frame and about 600 lbs. of low moisture, pure cream Iowa butter. Once inside the 40-degree cooler, layers of butter are applied until a life-size butter cow emerges - measuring about 5-1/2-ft high and 8-ft long. While a real dairy cow weighs more than 1,000 pounds, a 600-lb. butter cow would butter 19,200 slices of toast and take an average person two lifetimes to consume. Much of the butter is recycled and reused for up to 10 years. Next year will mark the 100th year of sculpting the Butter Cow at the Iowa State Fair.

The Iowa State Fair is set for "Non Stop Fun" August 12-22, 2010. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

* * *

19 Jul 2010

Ellen Wagener workshop for August

By Maquoketa Art Experience

MAE Summer Landscape Workshop


Ellen Wagener    Cloudscapes in Pastel    August 20-22, 2010


This three-day summer landscape workshop with Ellen Wagener is geared to both beginning artists and "seasoned masters."  The workshop will cover working processes including photography, sketching, idea-generation, compositions, and color palettes. Special emphasis will be given to pastel technique in the creation of cloudscapes.

Workshop participants will also have the opportunity to join Ellen on Thursday, August 19th in Cedar Rapids for a visit to the Cedar Rapids
Museum of Art for the Marvin Cone exhibit, "The Sky's the Limit." Throughout his entire career, Marvin Cone (Grant Wood colleague
and Stone City member) was fascinated by clouds and he demonstrated his awe of and reverence for cloud formations in his many paintings and
drawings.  In some of his works, majestic clouds are so much of the subject that those paintings are more correctly called, "cloudscapes"
than landscapes.  This exhibition of thirty works from the 1910s to the 1940s traces the many ways and styles Cone used to capture the ethereal
and transitory qualities of clouds, as well as their majesty and power.  We will also visit the studio of Grant Wood, called Turner Alley, near the
Cedar Rapids Museum, and dinner in CR will follow. The fee for the workshop is $295. Visit the Maquoketa Art Experience website for more information or call 563-652-9925.


Maquoketa Art Experience
124 S. Main Street
Maquoketa, IA 52060
(563) 652-9925
http://www.maquoketa-arts.org
maquoketaartexperience@hotmail.com
19 Jul 2010

Coal Valley Student named to Dean's List

By readMedia

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, recently named 1,901 undergraduate students to the Dean's List for the Spring semester of 2010.

Among those awarded is Anup Parikh of Coal Valley, IL.  Anup is pursing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.

19 Jul 2010

Thunderstorms Are a Deadly, Destructive Force, Warns IBHS

By Joseph King

Tampa, Fla. (July 15, 2010) - As insurers and homeowners keep a close watch on the Atlantic Basin for hurricane activity this summer, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) cautions people across the nation not to underestimate the destructive and deadly force of thunderstorms and lightning, which occur far more often and directly affect more of the U.S. than hurricanes.

According to the National Weather Service, every thunderstorm produces lightning. On average, 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year in the U.S. by lightning.

"Thunderstorms are a dangerous weather event and their destructive capabilities should not be taken lightly," said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. "Property losses related to lightning strikes exceed $1 billion annually, according to insurance industry data. These losses can range from damage to expensive electronic equipment fires that destroy an entire house or business."

For lightning protection, a whole-house/building surge protector is the best starting point for reducing the risk of damage. It is important to make sure that it is either a secondary surge arrestor tested to IEEE C62.11 or a transient voltage suppressor that has been tested to UL 1449, 2nd Edition. A number of power companies have programs to provide and install the whole-building surge protection. If this is not available in your area, consult a licensed.

However, for best results, the protection should extend beyond the whole-building surge protection. IBHS strongly recommends the following:

· Install additional protection for important or expensive electronic equipment. This should include localized surge protection for power cords to the equipment and any telephone and cable/satellite TV lines connecting to the equipment. These devices are available at most home improvement and electronics stores.

· Have a licensed electrician or competent home/building inspector review the power, telephone, electrical and cable/satellite TV connections to your building. Have them check to make sure that you have adequate grounding of the power line connection and your power distribution panel. All of the utilities should enter the structure within 10 feet of the electrical service entrance ground wire and be bonded to that grounding point.

"Thunderstorms do not receive as much notoriety as hurricanes or the other perils of Mother Nature, but they are a force to be reckoned with," Rochman said. "Preparing your home or business will you give you peace of mind knowing that you will be better protected when thunderstorms strike."

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19 Jul 2010

48 HOUR FILM PROJECT GETS SUPER-SIZED

By Sam Tuomi

By huge demand, four more slots open up as 48 filmmaking teams register for this year's event.

The Des Moines 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) continues its record-breaking year as all 48 filmmaker slots have been filled for this year's event. Due to overwhelming demand, four more slots are now available, super-sizing to a possible 52 filmmaking teams for 2010. Registe r today on the 48HFP website at www.48hourfilm.com/desmoines. Also on the website is the schedule of all filmmakers in their screening groups so the public can reserve their tickets for the Fleur Cinema & Cafe public screenings on MidwesTIX.com.

"We couldn't be more proud," remarks 48HFP Producer Sam Tuomi. "Iowa's talented filmmakers are driving the 48 Hour Film Project to become the premiere short film competition and festival of Iowa."

On July 19 at 7pm, the 48HFP hosts a Casting Social at the Lotus Moments Events Center (2134 E Grand Ave - DSM), including a free Workshop for Actors by well-known Casting Director Kimberly Busbee. The session will cover a variety of techniques for actors with limited experience acting for the camera. It will also focus on helping filmmakers get the best results from new talent. Make sure and bring copies of your headshot or contact information on paper to be given out to the film team representatives.

The Des Moines 48HFP kicks-off July 23 with filmmakers receiving their required elements - genre, character, prop, line of dialogue. Filmmakers have just 48 hours to produce a short film in the hopes to win the "Best of City" award along with its $1000 cash prize. To help all filmmakers in their search for music in their films, the 48HFP is pleased to announce that international touring acoustic alternative band The Speedbumps (http://www.thespeedbumps.com/) is making available three songs from their latest album, "The Moon is Down."

Public screenings of the films are at Fleur Cinema & Cafe on July 28 & 29. Once judges have made their decisions, the Top 12 of the 2010 Des Moines 48HFP will be shown August 12 at Fleur Cinema during the Best of City Celebration and Awards followed up by a Special After Party at the Des Moines Social Club, including an exclusive concert by The Speedbumps. Tickets for the screenings are available at Midwestix.com or at the Fleur Cinema box office on the day of show.

DES MOINES 48HFP IMPORTANT DATES:

July 19, 2010 @ 7pm
* Casting Social - Lotus Moments Event Center (2134 E Grand Ave - DSM). Includes Free Workshop for Actors with Kimberly Busbee.

July 23-25, 2010
Des Moines 48HFP competition weeken d
* July 23 Kick-off Des Moines Art Center for filmmakers only
* July 25 Completed films must be dropped off by 7:30 pm

July 28 & 29, 2010
* Public screenings of all completed 2010 Des Moines 48HFP entries and vote for your favorite
Fleur Cinema & Cafe (4545 Fleur Dr - DSM)
Tickets are available at MidwesTIX.com or at the Fleur Cinema box office on the day of show

August 12, 2010
* Best of City Celebration (open to the public) - includes screenings of the top 12 judged films from the 2010 Des Moines 48HFP entries
Fleur Cinema & Cafe (4545 Fleur Dr - DSM)
Special After Party at the Des Moines Social Club (1408 Locust St - DSM) including exclusive concert by The Speedbumps

STAY UP-TO-DATE ONLI NE:
facebook: www.facebook.com/desmoines48
twitter: www.twitter.com/48hfpdesmoines

The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which filmmakers make a short film - write, shoot, edit and score it - in just 48 hours. On Friday night, they are assigned a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in their film. 48 hours later, the film must be complete. In 2009, some 30,000 filmmakers made films in 70 cities worldwide, including over 40 filmmaking teams in the Des Moines competition. Since 2005, the Des Moines 48 Hour Film Project has showcased over 170 films.

The Des Moines 48 Hour Film Project is sponsored by The Fleur Cinema & Cafe, Put It On Video, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines Social Club, Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau, Iowa Motion Picture Association, Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance, Lotus Moments Event Center & Printing, and MidwesTIX.

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