03 Apr 2009

Braley to Take "Wind Energy Jobs Tour" Across Iowa

By Rick Martin

Congressman Braley will visit locations where wind energy is creating or could create jobs.

Washington, DC - Next week, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) will take a "Wind Energy Jobs Tour" across Iowa, visiting various locations where wind energy is creating or could create jobs.

Braley is a member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, which has jurisdiction over US energy policy. Braley has been an outspoken supporter of creating jobs through investments in renewable energy. In January, Braley introduced the Clean Energy Investment Act of 2009, which would boost wind energy investment and job creation by extending the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit for seven years.

Iowa is one of the nation's top producers of wind energy, and studies show Iowa ranks in the top ten nationally for wind energy production potential, with enough wind resources to power up to 15.5 million homes.

Monday, April 6, 2009 @ 10:30am: Tour of Story County Wind, LLC/NextEra Energy Wind Farm, followed by media availability. Tour will be at the Operations Center, 18327 - 720th St.in Colo, IA.

Monday, April 6, 2009 @ 1:30pm: Roundtable Meeting on Wind Energy at the Iowa Energy Center, 2521 University Blvd, Suite 124 in Ames, IA.

Tuesday April 7, 2009 @ 11:00am: Tour of NextEra Energy Wind Farm in Hancock County, followed by media availability. Tour will be at the NextEra Operations and Maintenance Building, 1824 - 200th St. in Garner, IA.

Tuesday April 7, 2009 @ 2:00pm: Tour of Waverly Light and Power Wind Turbine, followed by media availability. Tour will be on site at 1968 Garden Ave., Waverly, IA.

Wednesday April 8, 2009 @ 11:00am: Tour of Alter Barge's Terminal and River Barge. The tour of the terminal and barge will be followed by media availability and roundtable discussion on the impact of wind energy on other segments of Iowa's economy. Alter Barge, headquartered in the Quad Cities, is working to tap into the wind blade transportation market. Tour will be at the Blackhawk Fleet Barge Terminal, 1661 Front St., Buffalo, IA.

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02 Apr 2009

3rd Annual Trivia Night at the QCSC

By Jared Johnson
The Quad City Sports Center is excited to be hosting its 3rd Annual Trivia Night. The event will take place on Saturday, April 18th at 6pm. You can register now by calling the Quad City Sports Center or stopping by to pick up a registration form. Day of registration will start at 5pm on April 18th. Cost is $10 per person or $100 for a table of 10. Mr. Trivia will be here and it's sure to be lots of fun! There will be prizes for the winning team, raffles and much more!! Drink will be available for purchase, and you are welcome to bring your own snacks or grab something from our concession stand. All proceeds from this event go to assist with the further development of our One Goal and Learn to Skate programs. For more information or to register call 563-322-5220.

A full schedule of events can be found online at www.qcscskate.com or by calling 563-322-5220.

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31 Mar 2009

6,000 students take field trip to Adler Theatre

By Jared Johnson
Davenport, IA - In an era when field trips are becoming increasingly rare, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Day can still pull a crowd. On April 1, the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra will entertain and educate 6,000 area fourth and fifth grade students with its 26th annual Symphony Day. These narrated concerts at the Adler Theatre highlight the orchestra through short and varied works, while showing the students the inner workings of the orchestra on a giant overhead video projection. This year's program, "Music is a Magic Carpet Ride!" will include music from Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, Gliere's The Red Poppy and music from Disney's animated feature Alladin. For many youths, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to attend a live symphony concert in a concert hall.

Press is welcome to attend any of the three scheduled performances: 9:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1 p.m. Buses begin arriving a half-hour before each performance, with children streaming through the lobby until the time of the performance. Symphony Day draws from 32 different school districts, 195 public, private and home-study classrooms, all coming from within a 45-mile radius of the Quad Cities.

Symphony Day is sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, the Junior Board of Rock Island, the Rauch Foundation, Aquent Software Development Center, and Volunteers for Symphony.
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31 Mar 2009

GradCenter Night

By Cindy Crosby

Rock Island, Illinois - Whether your goal is to complete a two-year, four-year, or graduate degree, re-career, or enhance your promotability, attending GradCenter Night can help you get there.

This event will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the

i wireless Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline, Illinois.  GradCenter Night provides the opportunity for you to meet with representatives of GradCenter member universities (see list below) and special guests Black Hawk College and Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  Come and learn more about courses, certificates and programs that meet your needs and can be completed in the Quad Cities.

To see how GradCenter Night can best meet your needs, please contact the GradCenter at (309) 794-7376, toll free (888) 331-4723, or email QC@gradcenter.org.

Member Institutions

Drake University

Illinois State University

Iowa State University

Northern Illinois University

Saint Xavier University

St. Ambrose University

University of Illinois

University of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Western Illinois University

31 Mar 2009

Easter Bunny to visit the QCSC

By Collin Shutt

The Quad City Sports Center is excited to have the Easter Bunny appearing on Sunday, April 5th. The Easter Bunny will be skating off and on from 2-4pm. Come see him before he is off to deliver Easter baskets! The Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities will also have skaters out on the ice helping out new skaters. At 4pm we will have an on ice 'egg hunt' for kids who attended the session. This event is just one of a number of events the Quad City Sports Center hosts each year. Other upcoming promotions include a Mothers Day Skate, Fathers Day Skate, and more Skate the Day Away promotions! For more information call the Quad City Sports Center at 563-322-5220.

A full schedule of events and programs can be found online at www.qcscskate.com or by calling 563-322-5220
31 Mar 2009

Open Casting Call for "Splatter"

By Ann Wilkinson

On April 5, from 10 AM to 4 PM, Casting Director Ann Wilkinson hold an open audition for the feature film Splatter at the Marriott at 1200 Collins Road, NE in Cedar Rapids.  The open casting call takes place in conjunction with the events at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF).

Splatter will begin shooting in Iowa on May 1, 2009. Written and directed by Lonnie Schuyler and produced by Bruce Heppner-Elgin, this movie is a poignant, quirky comedy about relationships. It tells the story of a likable loser who finally realizes what makes life worthwhile and sets out to win back the love of his ex-wife and the respect of his son - in a paintball tournament.

Wilkinson is looking for Iowa talent to fill both principal and extra roles for the film. There is deferred pay for all principal and featured roles.

If you are interested in auditioning for Splatter and can't make the open call, you may send current pictures and resumes with contact numbers to:

PMS Casting
2018 Hwy G28, #122
Pella, IA 50219.

Splatter is the second collaborative effort between Schuyler, Heppner-Elgin and Director of Photography, Eric Freese.  The film is quite a departure from their last movie. The trio just wrapped filming on The Offering last month. Written, directed and produced by Heppner-Elgin, The Offering starred Schuyler as a chilling, cold-blooded killer.

For more information, go to www.pmscasting.com/casting.

For more details about CRIFF visit their web site http://www.crifm.org.

31 Mar 2009

"Dancing With The Stars" Julianne Hough issues $100,000 Challenge to Fans

By Alison Risso
"MAP EVERY PLACE TO PLAY IN AMERICA!"

Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion and Mercury Nashville recording artist Julianne Hough has partnered up with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit, to map and rate playspaces everywhere online. Once it has this comprehensive user-generated playground audit, KaBOOM! will know which areas of the country have a great place for kids to play every day and which areas fall short. Toward this end, Julianne will donate $1 to select charities every time someone uploads a new place to play (up to $100,000).

The challenge runs 100 days, from March 23 - June 30, or until Julianne gives away $100,000 to national non-profits that have teamed up with KaBOOM! for this project: the YMCA of the USA, National Wildlife Federation, Shaping America's Health, Jumpstart, and America's Promise Alliance. To participate, users go online to the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder (kaboom.org/playspacefinder), pick a great charity to earn money for, then post a picture they took of a place to play, and rate it. Julianne will then give the non-profit they selected $1 each time they load a new playspace to the map. In addition to benefiting charity, every playspace loaded counts as an entry in a sweepstakes to meet Julianne or win autographed merchandise. By using online technology to activate and engage individuals, the 100,000 Playspaces in 100 Days Campaign will alert communities of the importance of play, and motivate individuals to start taking action.

"In the U.S. childhood obesity numbers have tripled since I was little. Statisics say that nearly a third of our nations kids are overweight or well on their way. I have joined with KABOOM to try and make sure that kids have a place to play and run around every day," say Julianne. When complete, the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder will serve as a national audit of playspaces, allowing communities to evaluate how many there are, their quality, and how accessible they are.

Growing up in Utah, Julianne had a very active childhood. She and her siblings were always outside playing together as well as dancing and singing. She wants to help other kids have some of the same opportunities as she did.

To do something about the situation, Julianne teamed up with KaBOOM! to help them complete an online map of playgrounds, the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder. "I want to help parents know where all the great places are to play in their neighborhood," Julianne said. Once 100,000 new playspaces are entered onto the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder, KaBOOM! will have a national map full of places to play, parents can see where to take their kids, and KaBOOM! can spot areas that need attention.

The KaBOOM! Playspace Finder is a Google-based map that currently shows more than 16,000 user-generated entries with photos, amenities, and ratings of places kids play.  The KaBOOM! Playspace Finder includes all different sorts of places to play: playgrounds, athletic fields, ice rinks, basketball courts, skateparks, and swimming pools, even nature trails and community gardens. When complete, the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder will serve as a national audit of playspaces, allowing communities to evaluate how many there are, their quality, and how accessible they are.
Since 1995, KaBOOM! has constructed almost 1,600 playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also created the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play.
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31 Mar 2009

Pianist Leon Bates performs Ravel and Ellington for Masterworks finale

By Jared Johnson
Davenport, IA-The final Masterworks concert of the 2008-09 season features Leon Bates performing music from Maurice Ravel and Duke Ellington. This sixth Masterworks concert will also feature Roman-themed music from Berlioz and Respighi. These concerts will be performed on April 4 and 5, and sponsored in memory of Stanley and Bernice Harris, by Mrs. Isador Katz. Saturday evening's concert will be at the Adler Theatre in Davenport at 8 p.m. and followed on Sunday afternoon at Centennial Hall in Rock Island at 2 p.m.

Before the concerts begin, the QCSO is inviting their audience to stop by the office at 327 Brady Street in Davenport for "Super Subscriber Saturday" from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, April 4. Those renewing their season tickets and those purchasing them for the first time are welcome to stop in, meet with the QCSO staff, chat with Music Director Mark Russell Smith about next year's repertoire, and enjoy coffee and donuts. One lucky subscriber will be randomly selected by a drawing at the morning's end to win a package of QCSO tickets that includes all of the non-Masterworks events and is valued at over $300.

On Thursday night, before each Masterworks concert, Quad Citians are regularly invited to go "inside the music" with conductor Mark Russell Smith at the Figge Art Museum. Inside the Music begins with wine and cheese at 5 p.m., followed by the presentation at 5:30. Expert and novice alike are sure to enjoy this casual musical conversation. Thanks to generous sponsorship from U.S. Bank, this event is free to the public.

Music Director Mark Russell Smith and pianist Leon Bates will also be available at Concert Conversations, hosted by Kai Swanson an hour before each of the weekend's concerts. At Concert Conversations, audience members will be given a quick tour of highlights of the program they are about to experience. This look into the background of the concert's repertoire, sponsored by Rich James of Wachovia Securities, is in its tenth year and has become an audience favorite.

The season culminates with pianist Leon Bates performing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G and an arrangement of Duke Ellington's music titled New World A-Comin'. Since winning the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Auditions as a student over 20 years ago, Leon Bates has emerged as one of America's leading pianists. He has warranted critical and audience accolades in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Masonic Hall in San Francisco. He appeared in Naples, Italy, in two recitals and took part in the filming of the "Music in the 20th Century" telecast on PBS. His sheer mastery of his instrument has led to performances with many major symphonies in the U.S. and abroad.

Tickets for these concerts start at $10 for Saturday night and $20 for Sunday afternoon and can be purchased in person at the QCSO Box Office, 327 Brady Street in Davenport, by phone at 800.982.2787 or online at www.QCSymphony.com.

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30 Mar 2009

Camp Courageous Antique Market Show Sunday, April 5th, 2009

By Camp Courageous
MONTICELLO, IA - The Camp Courageous Spring Antique Market Show will be held this Sunday, April 5th at the Berndes Center at the fairgrounds in Monticello. Doors will be open from 9:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. Dealers and exhibitors from around the Midwest, many of whom have always been a part of this event, will be displaying their quality antiques and country collectibles. Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the day. This show is offered twice a year in the spring and the fall.

Cindy and Pete Hall established the Antique Market Show as a family venture in 2000. As stated by Cindy, "It was time for a change. Camp Courageous of Iowa was offered this venture because more people would benefit. This is an established show with great dealers! By having a show of this magnitude, it brings people to Monticello which also benefits the community." 100% of the proceeds from this show now go to benefit the campers attending Camp Courageous.  The camp looks forward to continuing the tradition of offering a quality antique market show.

Camp Courageous of Iowa is a recreational and respite care facility for individuals with disabilities of all ages. It is run on donations, without government support, without paid fundraisers, and without formal sponsorship.

The general public is invited to see the many items that will be available for sale at the Antique Market Show. Admission is $3.00 and parking is free! For any inquiries or dealer information contact Sharon Roller at Camp Courageous ((319) 465-5916 Extension 2200). All proceeds for this event goes to benefit the over 5,000 campers with special needs who visit Camp Courageous each year.
30 Mar 2009

The Moline Foundation Announces New Moline High School Scholarship

By Joy Boruff
Applicants are sought for the Moline High School Class of "59" Scholarship through The Moline Foundation with an application deadline of Wednesday, April 15, 2009.

    • Applicants must:

      • Be a 2009 Moline High School graduate

      • Have a GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale

      • Provide a transcript and proof of class rank

      • Be involved in at least one community service activity

      • Submit an essay answer to the questions "What do you anticipate your life to be like in fifty years?" and "What prompts your interest in this scholarship?"

    • Applicants who want to pursue a college, university or trade/technical school education are encouraged to apply for this newly established scholarship.

    The scholarship funds have been generated by alumni of the Moline High School Class of 1959. They have conducted hog roasts, participated in Birdies for Charity and received other donations. The initiation of this scholarship in 2009 will commemorate the MHS Class of 1959's fiftieth reunion and the golden anniversary of the current Moline High School campus located at 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline.

    To obtain a copy of an application for the Class of "59" scholarship, please contact the counseling department at Moline High School or call Linda at The Moline Foundation at (309)764-4193.

    Founded in 1953, The Moline Foundation is a community-based, non-profit organization which provides grants to health, human services, education, community development, the arts, and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of the Quad City region. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and has a current endowment fund of approximately $13 million. For more information contact Executive Director Joy Boruff at (309) 736-3800 or visit The Moline Foundation Web site at www.molinefoundation.org.

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