Games, snacks, and new friends - it's all happening at Rivermont Collegiate on Saturdays in January! Open house events for preschool-aged children and their families will take place January 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Local families are invited to join current Rivermont PreSchool students and families for oodles of fun on Saturday afternoons! Youngsters will enjoy games and playtime in the gymnasium while their parents and families are invited to learn more about Rivermont Collegiate.

From PreSchool through twelfth grade, Rivermont students develop a joy for learning, lead peers in community involvement, and take intellectual and artistic risks. The Early School at Rivermont Collegiate, consisting of PreSchool and Junior Kindergarten, provides children with their first step in formal education, developing skills and attitudes necessary for success. Rivermont provides students with a demanding and comprehensive education, driven by outstanding faculty and small class sizes. These casual Saturday events are designed to introduce local families to the Quad Cities' only private, nonsectarian, independent, multi-cultural college prep school.

Come explore our philosophy, values, and programs, while witnessing our Early School faculty in action! Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, will be on hand to answer questions and provide one-on-one discussion. These events will be held in the gymnasium on the Rivermont campus, located directly off 18th street in Bettendorf behind K&K Hardware. Visit us online at www.rivermontcollegiate.org!

For additional information about Rivermont Collegiate or the Saturday Open House events, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.

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You are invited to BRING IN 2010 at our WINE and CHEESE TASTING PARTY.

Come out to the Freight House Farmers' Market from 3pm until 6pm on Tuesday, January 5th and enjoy the festivities and do a little shopping while you're here.

Cheese will be supplied by Milton Creamery and Barb's Garden Pantry.

Wines are provided by the Tabor Family Vineyards

Live entertainment from Rob-n-Rick from 4pm until 6pm for your listening pleasure.

The Freight House Farmers' Market is located at 421 W. River Drive, downtown Davenport, right next to Modern Woodmen Stadium.

The Market is open all year long on Tuesday from 3pm unitl 6pm and Saturdays from 8am until 1pm.

During the colder months, the Market is open indoors at the Freight House building.

For more information, please visit www.freighthousefarmersmarket.com


WASHINGTON, D.C.
- Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that Iowa has been awarded $1,153,346 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP).  Senator Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"This program has proved to be an essential social safety net, providing basic food and shelter for Iowans in times of need," Senator Harkin said. "I am pleased that we will have this funding available to assist victims in the critical moments following an emergency."

EFSP funds were first authorized by Congress in 1983 and are appropriated annually under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  EFSP funds are used to supplement food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs for people with non-disaster related emergencies.

The EFSP is administered by a national board of voluntary agencies and chaired by FEMA.  Member agencies of the National Board include a diverse cross section of social service organizations.  The National Board qualifies local jurisdictions for annual EFSP awards based on criteria involving current population, unemployment and poverty levels.  Awards are then disbursed to local nonprofit organizations and government agencies in the eligible jurisdictions.  The state set-aside allows Iowa to address pockets of homelessness or poverty particularly to help areas that undergo economic changes like plant closings, or assist communities where levels of unemployment or poverty do not quite rise to the required threshold for a direct allocation.

A full list of Iowa's funding follows.

Appanoose County               $7,002
Black Hawk County             $58,925
Cass County                         $6,765
Clinton County                     $26,673
Crawford County                  $5,771
Davis County                         $4,792
Des Moines County              $22,460
Johnson County                     $44,728
Marshall County                    $20,161
Page County                         $8,857
Polk County                         $190,778
Scott County                         $80,851
Story County                         $28,661
Union County                        $5,949
Wapello County                    $21,570
Webster County                    $18,855
Woodbury County                 $41,019
State Set-Aside Committee, IA     $559,529

Iowa Total                          $1,153,346

Smokers in Scott County committed to quitting tobacco in the new year and who are also affected by the economic downturn now have a valuable tool for quitting. With the typical pack-a-day Iowa smoker now spending nearly $1,900 per year on cigarettes, Quitline Iowa (1-800-QUIT-NOW) is doubling the amount of nicotine patches and gum available to callers during the month of January.

"The cost of smoking is high, both physically and financially. Quitline Iowa, a free resource, is making it easier for Iowans and Scott County residents to quit," said Brooke Barnes, Community Health Consultant, Tobacco-Free QC. "With many Iowans committing to quit their tobacco use in the new year, Quitline Iowa wil make it easier to stick to that resolution."

In Iowa, cigarettes cost $5.18 per pack on average, or about $36.00 per week for a pack-a-day smoker. Iowans can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to receive a free four-week supply of nicotine patches, gum or lonzenges. Quitline Iowa also has specially trained quit coaches who help make individualized quit plans and offer ongoing support through follow-up calls. After January 31, Quitline Iowa will resume offering callers the two-week supply available throughout the year.

According to the most recent data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, about 15 percent of Iowans living in urban counties such as Scott County currently smoke. Among them, 85 percent say they wish to quit, mainly for health reasons. Nearly 20 percent, however, say their main reason for wanting to quit is the cost.

For more information, call 1-800-784-8669 (1-800-QUIT-NOW). To calculate how much tobacco costs you based on your brand and the amount you smoke, visit www.quitlineiowa.org. Help is also available for users of chewing tobacco.

The "feminization of poverty" was a popular topic in the 1970s and 1980s, but it has largely disappeared from policy discussion. Although important progress has been made on women's issues since that era, a new report by the Child and Poverty Center shows the persistence of substantial gender-based disparities in poverty and earnings between men and women in Iowa and the United States.

"Women, Work and Poverty: The 21st Century Challenge," written by Charles Bruner, with Michael Crawford and Anne Discher, shows a continued gap in the poverty rate among men and women over the last half century, although the causes and consequences have changed.

Policy gains have helped many women.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the women's liberation movement put a spotlight on the difficulties women faced in the workplace, such as pay inequalities for the same work, the "glass ceiling" faced by women climbing the corporate ladder, the segregation of women in the lowest-paid jobs, inadequate child-support payments, and the absence of family-leave policies and affordable child care.

Since that time, women's participation in the workforce has increased dramatically, and a number of state and federal policies have helped to reduce pay disparities. Iowa's comparable worth legislation, for instance, narrowed the gap in earnings for men and women in state government. Significant improvements in child-support enforcement and awards have brought much-needed infusion of funds for single parents. Low-income parents have much greater access to child-care subsidies to help them enter the workforce. Federal and state earned income tax credits offer a critical boost in income to the lowest-income working families. All these actions have helped to improve the economic security of women.

Despite progress, women continue to lag behind men in earnings.

One factor countering this progress, however, is that women continue to be disproportionately employed in low-wage jobs in the private sector, including those in fast-growing fields like child care and home-health care. In fact, nationally, working-age women are 40 percent more likely than working-age men to live in poverty, a gap that has remained consistent since 1990. Women have significantly increased their education levels, but the mean income of women remains below that of men with similar levels of education. This fact is particularly troublesome in Iowa, where workforce participation of both women and men is higher than for the nation as a whole, but the proportion of women and men with college and graduate degrees is below the national average.

Single parenting is a major factor in the continued disparity between men's and women's incomes.

A second large countertrend to achieving greater equality in income has been the increase in single parenting during this period. There are many more single-parent families headed by women than headed by men - and much higher rates of poverty among those families. In Iowa, only 4 percent of married couples live in poverty, compared with 37 percent of mother-only families, and 16 percent of father-only families. While divorce plays a role in this increase in single parenting, the biggest factor is the increase in the share of never-married parents - a pattern most common among women with low levels of education.  These disparities have a critical racial and ethnic component. In 2007, 63 percent of
African-American families were headed by single parents, compared with 26 percent of white families. Adolescent parenting is also far more common among minority families.

Some safety-net programs for low-income families haven't kept pace with the need.

A final countertrend is the general decline in public assistance for single-parent families with young children. For decades, welfare payments were intended to provide ongoing income to families caring for young children. But welfare reform of the 1990s shifted the focus toward temporary aid as a bridge to employment. Even factoring in a substantial increase in the child-care subsidies needed to help parents enter the workforce, the state's investment in safety-net services has slipped. Between 1980 and 2008, Iowa investments in direct welfare payments and child-care subsidies together declined by nearly one-half in inflation-adjusted dollars.

The state and federal government have made major investments in other forms of assistance, such as Iowa's hawk-i program, which provides health insurance for children, and the food-support program, SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. Money invested in these programs now exceeds that put into direct welfare payments, but their benefits are still limited. The relatively low cut-offs for SNAP benefits and child-care subsidies contribute to a "cliff" in government support to low-income families, as families make even modest improvements in their wages. The corresponding reductions in food support and child-care subsidies often negate most or all of those gains.

Other public policies play important roles in supporting working mothers.

In recent decades, both the state and federal government have made major contributions to the well-being of families through tax policies. In particular, the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and child credit has effectively lifted tens of millions of children out of poverty. In addition, the state of Iowa was among the first states to enact an earned income tax credit. However, the state's more limited EITC and its overall tax structure reduce some of the federal benefits - and place a much heavier burden on working families than on any other type of taxpayer.

In other areas, major reforms in child support in the 1980s have substantially increased the amount of money flowing to custodial parents, generally women. In fact, public child-support-enforcement activity now exceeds the amount of benefits from direct welfare payments.

Finally, there remains significant work to be done in the area of family leave, particularly paid leave, where the U.S. continues to lag far behind many other countries. Such leave is an especially valuable tool for parents of young children, because they tend to be at the starting points of their careers and their parenting responsibilities are most time-consuming at this stage.

Conclusion

"Women, Work and Poverty" describes important trends and offers policy options to address them but does not provide simple answers. The purpose of the report is to provide the evidence and again raise the issue of gender disparities in poverty.

"CFPC produced this report to stimulate discussion and attention," Charles Bruner indicated. "The report provides the facts and information to show that 'the feminization of poverty' exists today and impacts both women and children. It needs to be a subject of policy attention today every bit as much as it did fifty years ago."

The executive summary and the full report are available at www.cfpciowa.org.

Contact: Charles Bruner(515) 280-9027

The Des Moines-based Child and Family Policy Center (CFPC) was established in 1989 by former Iowa legislator Charles Bruner to better link research and policy on issues vital to children and families and to advocate for evidenced-based strategies to improve child outcomes. CFPC works at the community, state, and national levels on child- and family-policy issues, with a particular emphasis upon developing more asset-based and comprehensive approaches to helping children and their families succeed.

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Body and Soul Personal Training invites you to OH WOW (Optimum Health, WorkOuts for Women) a brand new group training program just for women.  OH WOW is a 45 minute, results based workout led by one of our experienced personal trainers. Group size is limited. Sessions take place on Mondays at 5:30 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:45 pm. Call 563-370-2359 or email bodyandsoulpt@yahoo.com for more details.
Body and Soul Personal Training is offering a New Year's Solution to that lose weight, get healthy and get fit resolution.  Join with us as we train to WALK a half marathon.  Body and Soul offers the longest, most comprehensive training program to teach you everything you need to know to cross the finish line with a smile on your face.  You'll get eight months of weekly group walks and instruction, full training schedule, a training log and much more.  An informational session will take place on January 20 at 6:00 pm.  Call 563-370-2359 or email bodyandsoulpt@yahoo.com for more details.

OMAHA, Nebraska - (December 28, 2009) - Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) is hosting a special meeting in 16 Iowa locations and a South Sioux City, Nebraska location in January.

The purpose is to share options and insights to help producers plan for the 2010 crop year.

Steven Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension, will be the keynote speaker. He will give a crop price outlook and reveal strategies for marketing and managing risks and costs. "Despite expected input cost declines in 2010, costs will remain relatively high by historical standards," says Johnson. "Couple this with price volatility brought about by the late harvest this year, farmers' margins will be tight. More than ever, in 2010, careful thought needs to be given to grain storage, marketing, production costs and risk management strategies."

FCSAmerica crop insurance specialists will also present at GrowingOn 2010. "Because of the anticipated 2010 tight margins, producers need to position themselves to take advantage of marketing opportunities," states  Doug Burns, vice president-insurance for FCSAmerica in Perry, Iowa. "Revenue insurance is the best tool to protect risks with forward contracting. Options to reduce insurance premiums, such as the Enterprise Unit and the Biotechnology Endorsement discounts should be considered as part of 2010 crop insurance decisions as well. A good crop insurance plan uses the right crop insurance products to help protect an operation's income and maximize profitability. A good crop insurance agency, an agency like Farm Credit Services of America, works with producers to create a plan that connects their financials, working capital and crop insurance coverage."

This two and one-half hour program will be held Monday, Jan. 4 in Newton and Marshalltown, Iowa; Tuesday, Jan. 5 in Mt. Pleasant and Waterloo, Iowa; Wednesday, Jan. 6 in Festina and Manchester, Iowa; Thursday, Jan. 7 in North Liberty and Davenport, Iowa; Friday, Jan. 8 in Yale, Iowa; Monday, Jan. 11 in Eddyville and Harlan, Iowa; Tuesday, Jan. 12 in Corning and Carroll, Iowa; Wednesday, Jan. 13 in Storm Lake, Iowa; Thursday, Jan. 14 in South Sioux City, Nebraska and Webster City, Iowa and Friday, Jan. 15 in Mason City, Iowa.

Pre-registration is required. Specific times, locations and registration details can be found at www.cropinsurancespecialists.com or by calling the nearest Farm Credit Services of America office at 1-800-884-FARM.

Farm Credit Services of America is proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With 79,000 customers, a cash patronage program and assets of $13 billion, FCSAmerica is one of the region's leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

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America's Farmers Grow Communities Project to Give $2,500 Awards in all 99 Iowa Counties

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 23, 2009) - Iowa farmers can kick off the new year by applying for an award to help a non-profit organization in their community that's dear to their heart.  The award is available through Monsanto's America's Farmers Grow Communities™ Project, a new pilot program being offered throughout Iowa and in parts of Missouri and Arkansas.  Through the program, farmers can direct a $2,500 award to a local non-profit organization that's important to them and their community.

The program is intended to benefit non-profit community groups such as ag youth organizations, schools and other civic groups.  Farmers can apply online or request a copy of the official rules of the award program at www.growcommunities.com, by calling 1.877.267.3332 or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to America's Farmers Grow Communities Project, 914 Spruce St., St. Louis, Mo. 63102. 

Farmers, age 21 and over, who are actively involved in producing a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton are eligible.  The application period runs from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, 2010.  The program is open to all qualifying farmers, and there is no purchase requirement.  In Iowa, one winner will be drawn from each of the state's 99 counties.  Monsanto will announce winning farmers and recipient organizations they chose in March 2010.

"Farmers in Iowa and across America work hard to feed, fuel and clothe our country and the world," said John Raines, Vice President of Customer Advocacy for Monsanto.  "As a company whose only business is agriculture, we want to work together with farmers to help them grow their local communities through the America's Farmers Grow Communities Project."

The pilot program is part of a broad commitment by Monsanto to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by reinvesting in their local communities.  The company also recently launched a national advertising campaign to build greater consumer awareness about the importance of U.S. agriculture, its economic impact and advances in preserving our vital natural resources. 

In addition, Monsanto, as one of the sponsors of America's Heartland, aired nationally on public television stations and RFD-TV, is helping educate consumers through first-person farm stories on the vital contributions of the American farmer. The program is in its fifth season. 

About Monsanto Company
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy. To learn more about our business and our commitments, please visit
www.monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MonsantoCo, or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.

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Davenport, Iowa (December 23, 2009) - It's official ? Winter is here! Iowa American Water reminds homeowners to take precautions now, if they haven't already, to protect their home's plumbing system from freezing winter temperatures that can cause frozen pipes and water meters. Acting now can prevent costly plumbing repairs and headaches for homeowners.
"During winter weather, water pipes need special care to keep them from freezing, so homeowners should take reasonable precautions to help protect their property from damage," said Randy Moore, president of Iowa American Water. "Weatherproofing your home against the cold will pay dividends on energy bills in the winter and will also help protect your indoor plumbing against the threat of breaks."
Iowa American Water encourages its customers to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of freezing pipes that can burst.
Before cold weather sets in:
· Know what areas of your home, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls, are most vulnerable to freezing.
· Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
· Know where your main water shut-off valve is. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.
· Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric may also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation so don't disturb it.
When temperatures fall below zero:
· If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe.
· Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
If your pipes freeze:
· Shut off the water immediately. Don't attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.
· Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater, or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended, and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.
· Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
When you are away:
· Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to insure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
· Also, a freeze alarm can be purchased for less than $100 and will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Currently, Iowa American Water is including cold weather tips information in all of its customer billings. In addition, more cold weather tips can be found at www.amwater.com.
Iowa American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 200,000 people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
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