If you provide incentives, they will come. On June 8, Quad City Development Group President Thom Hart and Davenport Mayor Ed Winborn announced that the Quad Cities will provide locations for a new feature by filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who previously collaborated on the Oscar-nominated drama Half Nelson. John O'Donnell Stadium, in particular, will play a key role in the currently untitled project, which concerns a young man from the Dominican Republic who - inspired by Field of Dreams - journeys to Iowa to play in the minor leagues. Project co-producers Jamie Patricof and Jeremy Kipp Walker stated that recent legislation providing incentives to film in Iowa, and the stadium's "beautiful field" along the Mississippi River, were key motivators in their decision to shoot locally, with filming scheduled to run from late July through mid-September. Numerous Quad Cities locations are currently being scouted, and the filmmakers hope to employ local talent in the feature's production. For information on the Iowa Film Promotion Act, which was signed into law on May 17, visit (http://www.traveliowa.com/film). - Mike Schulz
The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering bikes to be rented for River Action's Ride the River event on Sunday, June 17. They can be rented by reservation on a first-come/first-served basis. There are many sizes available, and each rental includes a helmet and a lock. Tandems, trail-a-bikes, and kiddie trailers are also available. Renters can pick them up at Union Station, 102 South Harrison Street in Davenport, on Sunday morning and return them that afternoon. It's located along the bike path, and it's the headquarters for Ride the River. To reserve a bike, call Jessica Waytenick at (563) 322-3911 extension 103.
Because of funding from the Milan-Blackhawk Public Library District Board, the Rock Island Library Southwest Branch is now open 12 more hours each week. The branch at 9010 Ridgewood Road is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday hours remain unchanged - 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Rock Island Library is not open on Sundays. For more information, call the Southwest Branch at (309) 732-7338 or visit (http://www.ripl.lib.il.us).
West Music will be consolidating its Quad Cities operations into a single expanded storefront in Moline. The West Music Davenport location at 5205 North Brady Street will close on July 28. Beginning August 1, West Music will focus its efforts and resources into its expanded Moline storefront at 4305 44th Avenue, off John Deere Expressway. Any events scheduled to take place before July 28 at West Music's Davenport location will continue as planned.
Calling all logophiles! A Scrabble group is forming and will hold its first meeting on Sunday, June 17, at 3 p.m. Come play and help organize future Scrabble events. Contact Peggy for reservation and location information: (309) 786-4508 or (peggydcrawford@gmail.com).
In an effort to promote volunteerism and community involvement, the Moline Public Library is hosting the Find Your Mission Volunteer Expo on Saturday, June 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives of several local not-for-profit organizations will be available to explain their missions and the various volunteer opportunities available.
Rock Camp is a unique opportunity for students from ages 8 to 18 to learn to play in a full band and have a blast doing it. Details for Rock Camp are available at the River Music Experience Web site at (http://www.rivermusicexperience.org).
The Davenport Public Library hosts e-games for teens. Teens can join fellow citizens of Runescape in the computer lab for simultaneous gaming. The teen e-games will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at the Main Street library and on Wednesday, June 27, at 6 p.m. at the Fairmount Street library. Registration is required because of limited seating. Call (563) 326-7900 or visit (http://www.davenportlibrary.com) to register.
Brian Burke of Davenport has been recognized as an "outstanding volunteer" in Northwestern Mutual's national Community Service Award program. Burke received the honor for his outstanding service and involvement with Volunteers for Symphony, a division of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association. A $10,000 grant will be presented to Volunteers for Symphony from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation at the preview party for the symphony's 24th-Annual Second Fiddle Sale.
Trinity at Terrace Park and the Bettendorf Library Foundation will host a free concert and ice-cream social at the Trinity at Terrace Park Healing Gardens at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19. The concert will feature children's entertainer Hans Mayer. The concert and ice-cream social are part of "Get a Clue" and "Crack the Code," the Bettendorf Public Library's summer reading programs. This event is free for anyone to attend; registration in the reading program is not required. Concert-goers should bring blankets or lawn chairs for the whole family. For more information, contact the Bettendorf Public Library Youth Services Desk at (563) 344-4178.
A student has been chosen to receive a scholarship from the Lee Womack Memorial Scholarship Fund administered by The Moline Foundation. Laina Lagomarcino recently graduated from Moline High School. She plans to attend Black Hawk College this fall to obtain a degree in elementary education. The Lee Womack Scholarship Fund is intended to provide funds to deserving students graduating from Moline High School who plan to obtain a college degree in education. Lagomarcino was chosen by a local scholarship selection committee through The Moline Foundation to receive a scholarship of $1,000.
After completing 52 seasons of concerts, Friends of Chamber Music is dissolving its corporation. The Thomas Challis harpsichord that the group built in 1961 has been donated to the Quad City Symphony. Money in the memorial fund was given to the Symphony's Music Education Outreach Program. The remaining funds will be divided equally among Opera@Augustana, the Quad City Wind Ensemble, and the music department of the Black Hawk College Foundation.
