Best TV Hair
1. Paula Sands (KWQC TV6)
2. Jessica Tighe (KWQC TV6)
3. Sharon DeRycke (KWQC TV6)
Best Overblown Local News Story
1. Weather
2. Casinos moving
3. Elections
Best Complaint About the Quad Cities
1. Nothing to do
2. Road conditions
3. Traffic
Most Dangerous Intersection
1. 53rd Street and Elmore Avenue, Davenport
2. Brady and Kimberly streets, Davenport
3. Division and Locust streets, Davenport
Best Waste of Public Funds in 2007
1. Skybridge repairs and upkeep
2. New library in Moline
3. Red-light and speed cameras
You clever Quad Citians throw a few surprises our way each year we run the "Best of the Quad Cities" balloting. Some of your responses are quite clever, others are a little on the crazy side, and still there are some each year that are ... well, confusing.
While this is a Best of the Quad Cities poll, we do take liberty to include Muscatine and DeWitt, because we distribute the Reader there. But you folks continue to stretch the boundaries of our metropolitan area. Many answers included businesses/bands/people from Monmouth, Galesburg, Sterling/Rock Falls, and even Dubuque. Thankfully we didn't have any selections from New Zealand, although we did receive a ballot from there (former Palmer student?).
You either love it or hate it, don't you? The Skybridge, I mean. Tops in the "Best Waste of Public Funds for 2007" and at the top of the list for "Best Local Landmark."
Since Paula Sands was a double "winner" in the "Best TV Hair" and the "Most Annoying Media Personality," does this mean her hair is not annoying?
According to Wikipedia, "hair of the dog" is an expression used to refer to ingestion of alcohol as treatment for a hangover. In our "Best Hangover Day" section, the balloting favored the Village Inn as the "Best Hair of the Dog." They must be serving something extra in their coffee! (Editor's note: Votes for some venues were eliminated to reflect the term's proper usage.) Man's best friend, in particular a Cocker Spaniel, received a vote in this category, but we believe the voter thought the question was "best hair on a dog."
"Best Place to Get Arrested" probably doesn't sit well with the folks in Rock Island, but a plurality of our voters thought the District of Rock Island was the place to be led away in a squad car. Is it the jail accommodations? The friendliness of the officers? I don't think I'll try to find out, thank you.
C'mon folks! You couldn't come up with a better name for our imaginary festival than (drum roll, please) the Imaginary Festival?
Home might be where the heart is, but it's also the "Best Place to Relax" and one of the "Best Place[s] to Exercise."
Among the more clever responses was "chicken" for "Best Eggs." Also, T.R. Video received several votes for "Best Place to Find Unusual Toys." One of my favorites was under the aforementioned "Imaginary Festival" section for "Best Local Metal Artist." Congratulations to Eric Mart, metal artist and sculptor. Someone was thinking "outside the box."
Lastly, I'd like to point out that the top six nominees in the "Retail Store" category of "Best Kept Secrets" have a combined total of more than 6,400 stores in the U.S. Hardly a secret, I think. The most frequently nominated locally owned stores, which could qualify as fairly unknown or "secret," were The Soap Box in Davenport and Watermark Corners in Moline.
All in all, many thanks to all of you who took time to voice your opinions. The "Best of the Quad Cities" issues are always an interesting look into the minds and hearts (and stomachs) of Quad Citians. See you next year!
- Rick Martin
Most Overrated Thing About the Quad Cities
1. Casinos
2. Skybridge
3. River
Best Civic Villain
1. Keith Meyer
2. Craig Malin
3. Phil Yerington
Most Annoying Media Personality
1. Paula Sands (KWQC TV6)
2. Dwyer & Michaels (WXLP FM96.9)
3. J.D. Justice (WLLR FM103.7)
Best Fear-Mongering Newscaster
1. Terry Swails (KWQC TV6)
2. Paula Sands (KWQC TV6)
3. Gary Metivier (KWQC TV6)
