21
Aug
2001
• Patrons of the Bettendorf Public Library checked out 52,202 items in July, including books, audio books, videos, DVDs, compact discs, music tapes, CD-ROMS, DVD-ROMs, and magazines. This is the highest monthly circulation in the library's 75-year history. The library was open 272 hours in July, so patrons checked out, on average, 192 items per hour. The previous circulation record was 51,036 items in June 1999, which was an average of about 179 items an hour. Forty-two percent of the record total (21,807 items) was checked out to residents of cities other than Bettendorf. This means Bettendorf lends more items to nonresidents than any other Quad Cities library. The library's Web site can be found at (http://www.bettendorflibrary.com).
• A new name and logo for Cassandra Manning Ballet Theatre (CMBT), one of the Quad Cities' leading arts presenters, was announced by Mary Ellen Chamberlain, president of the Riverboat Development Authority (RDA), at ArtStroll in downtown Davenport earlier this month. RDA has provided a grant to promote and market the ballet company's new identity, Ballet Quad Cities. Visitors will be introduced to Ballet Quad Cities with a back-lit wall sign at the Quad City International Airport. Billboards and a promotional video will round out the company's introduction of its new name. The ballet company can also be visited soon at its new Web site at (http://www.balletquadcities.com). Ballet Quad Cities' 2001-2002 season will feature 11 dancers from the United States, Canada, and Cuba.
• Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption needs your help. The organization has been under new leadership since April and needs to retire accrued debts, and it's asking for financial assistance. The kennel is also full to capacity with greyhounds needing homes. Even a few dollars will help, and every cent will be used to help keep the kennel's doors open. Donations can be dropped off, or you can mail a contribution to Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption; 5103 11th St.; Rock Island, IL 61201. Checks should be payable to QCGA. Visitors and new volunteers are also welcome.
• Each year, Davenport Museum of Art tour guides (called docents) provide educational tours and outreach programs to thousands of students and adults. The Davenport Museum of Art is currently seeking volunteers to serve as docents during the current program year. No tour-guide experience or educational background in art or art history is necessary, but docents must have good communication skills. Persons interested in learning more are asked to call Ann Marie Hayes, curator of education, at (563)326-7887.
• Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities is seeking dedicated people to help lead it into the future. Chuck Landon will be stepping down as president and Julius Johnson will be leaving the board. These positions need to be filled, and more dedicated board members are always welcome. People are also needed to join committees, because they are key to Habitat's success. Existing committees include Family Support, Family Selection, Site Selection, Fundraising, Construction, Volunteer, Church Relations, and Public Relations. Call the office at (563)359-9066 to indicate what role you would like to play in Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities.
• U.S. Representative Jim Leach is making good use of Congress' summer recess by making an offer on a home and acreage northeast of Iowa City. Leach offered an undisclosed amount for a two-story home listed for $510,000 with the surrounding nonfarmed land totaling $705,000. The property was previously owned by former University of Iowa physician David Shwartz, who has accepted a job with Duke University. Leach, who currently lives in the Quad Cities, will move to the newly re-drawn 2nd District to avoid a political fight with fellow Republican Jim Nussle in the 1st District, which he currently serves.
• The Davenport Museum of Art has received a grant award of $1,000 from Humanities Iowa, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of a lecture series planned in conjunction with the Museum's fall exhibition called African Forms. The exhibition will be featured in the museum's main gallery September 8 through November 11. The lectures are free with regular Museum admission. For more information, call (563)326-7804 or visit (http://www.art-dma.org).
• One day, while sitting on 53rd Street and noting that it looks more and more like a parking lot, I wondered if there was a better way to drive to make it all easier for us to get around in traffic. Sure enough, waiting in my e-mail at home was a link showing that driving defensively is not only polite but faster if enough people do it. The author lives in Seattle, a city know for its horrible traffic jams, and the article includes the results of driving experiments the author did during his daily commuting. See for yourself at (http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html).
• State Representative Joe Seng announced his candidacy for a second term on Monday, August 20. Seng served as a Davenport city alderman for several terms before advancing on to the Iowa State House of Representatives last year. His election to state office caused an alderman-at-large vacancy on the Davenport City Council, which was filled by Steve Ahrens through a special election held last March. Also announcing candidacies for Davenport offices are Pat Egley for 3rd Ward Alderman against incumbent Roland Caldwell and challenger Dan Vance; Jim Schnell for 1st Ward Alderman against incumbent Roxanna Moritz; Bill Holgorsen for 5th Ward Alderman against incumbent Wayne Hean (Hean defeated incumbent Jim Hyek in the previous election, who is the campaign manager for Holgorsen); Doug Peyton for 8th Ward Aldermen against incumbent Tom Englemann; and Barney Barnhill for 7th Ward Alderman against incumbent Ed Brown; Jamie Howard for Alderman-at-Large against incumbent Steve Ahrens; Mel Lower for 6th Ward Alderman against incumbent Bob McGivern. The deadline for filing candidacy papers to run for office is August 31. The expectation is that more will come forward to run for office. Davenport also has six mayoral candidates to fill the vacancy being left by current Mayor Phil Yerington: Bob Yapp; Charlie Brook; Pamela Davis; John Waddell; Denise Hollenback; and Bill Sherwood. Both Barnhill and Vance were incumbents in the previous election, but were beat by the current incumbents. Brooks ran and was defeated by Mayor Yerington in the last election. Jim Schnell was defeated by Moritz in the last election, as well. Both Howard and Hollenback served together on the Davenport School District Board. Hollenback's significant other is Bob Lank, previously an alderman-at-large, but defeated in the last election. Holgorsen has run in several elections in the past, but was never elected.
• A new name and logo for Cassandra Manning Ballet Theatre (CMBT), one of the Quad Cities' leading arts presenters, was announced by Mary Ellen Chamberlain, president of the Riverboat Development Authority (RDA), at ArtStroll in downtown Davenport earlier this month. RDA has provided a grant to promote and market the ballet company's new identity, Ballet Quad Cities. Visitors will be introduced to Ballet Quad Cities with a back-lit wall sign at the Quad City International Airport. Billboards and a promotional video will round out the company's introduction of its new name. The ballet company can also be visited soon at its new Web site at (http://www.balletquadcities.com). Ballet Quad Cities' 2001-2002 season will feature 11 dancers from the United States, Canada, and Cuba.
• Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption needs your help. The organization has been under new leadership since April and needs to retire accrued debts, and it's asking for financial assistance. The kennel is also full to capacity with greyhounds needing homes. Even a few dollars will help, and every cent will be used to help keep the kennel's doors open. Donations can be dropped off, or you can mail a contribution to Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption; 5103 11th St.; Rock Island, IL 61201. Checks should be payable to QCGA. Visitors and new volunteers are also welcome.
• Each year, Davenport Museum of Art tour guides (called docents) provide educational tours and outreach programs to thousands of students and adults. The Davenport Museum of Art is currently seeking volunteers to serve as docents during the current program year. No tour-guide experience or educational background in art or art history is necessary, but docents must have good communication skills. Persons interested in learning more are asked to call Ann Marie Hayes, curator of education, at (563)326-7887.
• Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities is seeking dedicated people to help lead it into the future. Chuck Landon will be stepping down as president and Julius Johnson will be leaving the board. These positions need to be filled, and more dedicated board members are always welcome. People are also needed to join committees, because they are key to Habitat's success. Existing committees include Family Support, Family Selection, Site Selection, Fundraising, Construction, Volunteer, Church Relations, and Public Relations. Call the office at (563)359-9066 to indicate what role you would like to play in Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities.
• U.S. Representative Jim Leach is making good use of Congress' summer recess by making an offer on a home and acreage northeast of Iowa City. Leach offered an undisclosed amount for a two-story home listed for $510,000 with the surrounding nonfarmed land totaling $705,000. The property was previously owned by former University of Iowa physician David Shwartz, who has accepted a job with Duke University. Leach, who currently lives in the Quad Cities, will move to the newly re-drawn 2nd District to avoid a political fight with fellow Republican Jim Nussle in the 1st District, which he currently serves.
• The Davenport Museum of Art has received a grant award of $1,000 from Humanities Iowa, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of a lecture series planned in conjunction with the Museum's fall exhibition called African Forms. The exhibition will be featured in the museum's main gallery September 8 through November 11. The lectures are free with regular Museum admission. For more information, call (563)326-7804 or visit (http://www.art-dma.org).
• One day, while sitting on 53rd Street and noting that it looks more and more like a parking lot, I wondered if there was a better way to drive to make it all easier for us to get around in traffic. Sure enough, waiting in my e-mail at home was a link showing that driving defensively is not only polite but faster if enough people do it. The author lives in Seattle, a city know for its horrible traffic jams, and the article includes the results of driving experiments the author did during his daily commuting. See for yourself at (http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html).
• State Representative Joe Seng announced his candidacy for a second term on Monday, August 20. Seng served as a Davenport city alderman for several terms before advancing on to the Iowa State House of Representatives last year. His election to state office caused an alderman-at-large vacancy on the Davenport City Council, which was filled by Steve Ahrens through a special election held last March. Also announcing candidacies for Davenport offices are Pat Egley for 3rd Ward Alderman against incumbent Roland Caldwell and challenger Dan Vance; Jim Schnell for 1st Ward Alderman against incumbent Roxanna Moritz; Bill Holgorsen for 5th Ward Alderman against incumbent Wayne Hean (Hean defeated incumbent Jim Hyek in the previous election, who is the campaign manager for Holgorsen); Doug Peyton for 8th Ward Aldermen against incumbent Tom Englemann; and Barney Barnhill for 7th Ward Alderman against incumbent Ed Brown; Jamie Howard for Alderman-at-Large against incumbent Steve Ahrens; Mel Lower for 6th Ward Alderman against incumbent Bob McGivern. The deadline for filing candidacy papers to run for office is August 31. The expectation is that more will come forward to run for office. Davenport also has six mayoral candidates to fill the vacancy being left by current Mayor Phil Yerington: Bob Yapp; Charlie Brook; Pamela Davis; John Waddell; Denise Hollenback; and Bill Sherwood. Both Barnhill and Vance were incumbents in the previous election, but were beat by the current incumbents. Brooks ran and was defeated by Mayor Yerington in the last election. Jim Schnell was defeated by Moritz in the last election, as well. Both Howard and Hollenback served together on the Davenport School District Board. Hollenback's significant other is Bob Lank, previously an alderman-at-large, but defeated in the last election. Holgorsen has run in several elections in the past, but was never elected.
