Churches United has announced two awards received in support of its Hunger Ministry: $500 from United Church of Christ, Neighbors in Need, and $5,000 from the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ. Churches United operates 23 food pantries and three meal sites in the Quad Cities area. In 2006, the volunteers that work in the food pantries responded to more than 26,800 visits, and meal-site volunteers provided more than 30,800 meals to those who were hungry.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment introduced by Iowa Representative Bruce Braley (D-Waterloo) that requires the Pentagon to investigate implementing two programs for National Guard and Reserve families: (1) a peer-to-peer National Guard and Reserve spouses' counseling program, and (2) a program to collaborate with health and advocacy organizations to provide support services for the children of Guard and Reserve members. Similar provisions were originally included in House Resolution 1541, the Coming Together for Guard & Reserve Families Act, a bill Braley and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) introduced in March.
At its monthly meeting, the board of directors of the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce passed a formal resolution of support in favor of efforts to pursue the establishment of passenger-rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities. In the resolution, it also urged its members to join the recently created QC Rail Coalition. At the coalition's announcement ceremony, community leaders from Iowa and Illinois said they hope to establish an Amtrak connection between Chicago and the Quad Cities in two years. For more information on the rail coalition, visit (http://www.quadcitychamber.com), which is the Web site of the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce.
On Thursday, June 14, Moline Centre Partners will host the Third Annual Downtown Moline "Centre Clean-a-thon." This event enlists the help of volunteers to clean up the downtown area in preparation for summer events. During the Clean-a-thon, volunteers will walk the streets of downtown Moline sweeping sidewalks, pulling weeds, and picking up trash. Last year, volunteers removed 1,329 pounds of trash from the streets, alleys, and sidewalks in the downtown area. To volunteer or find out more information, call Mindy at (309) 762-7463 extension 201 or e-mail Lysa Hegland at (lysahegland@msn.com).
The Iowa Democratic Party announced that Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Chris Dodd, Senator John Edwards, and Governor Bill Richardson will attend the 2007 Hall of Fame Dinner in Iowa. The annual awards dinner honors individuals for commitment to Democratic values and activism. The Hall of Fame Outstanding Supporter Award recipients this year are Roxanne Barton Conlin and Edward Campbell. The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will be held on June 2 in Cedar Rapids, at the Five Seasons Crowne Plaza Hotel. For more information, visit (http://www.iowademocrats.org) or call (515) 244-7292 extension 691.
On Thursday, May 17, Iowa Governor Chet Culver kicked off the "Capitol for a Day" program in Dubuque by signing a film-industry-incentive package called the "Film, Television, & Video Project Promotion Program." For more information on the incentives legislation, see "Iowa Film Incentives Are Likely, But Are They Worth It?" River Cities' Reader Issue 624, March 14-20, 2007.
The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced that its Quad Cities video, previously available on CD and DVD, is available for online viewing on its Web site: (http://www.visitquadcities.com).The video is broken into two segments, and each segment runs roughly seven minutes. The videos can be found at (http://visitquadcities.com/for_visitors/videos.html). Part one of the video features festivals, gaming, riverboats, biking/walking trails, history, historic neighborhoods, parks, and gardens. Part two highlights golf courses, family fun, professional sports, dining, nightlife, arts, culture, and shopping.
The Riverboat Development Authority (RDA) last week awarded $2 million for a variety of local civic and not-for-profit projects. The awards included authorizing final payment to several projects related to River Renaissance and downtown development, such as the skybridge, Figge Art Museum, and Adler Theatre. To retire those ongoing pledges and fund the full range of new projects approved, the board voted to not accept any new grant applications until spring 2008. The Riverboat Development Authority is the qualified sponsor organization for the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport and derives its income for grants from that facility. Since 1991, the RDA has awarded more than $43 million to various civic and not-for-profit projects. More information on the organization can be found at (http://www.riverboatauthority.com).
In 2005, Congress passed the REAL ID Act in the name of national security. By next May, states are required to comply with strict federal standards for driver's licenses and other forms of identification, or their driver's licenses and IDs won't be usable for "federal purposes" such as passing through airport checkpoints. Without opposition, the Illinois House passed Joint Resolution 27 on April 19 urging the state congressional delegation to repeal REAL ID. Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Washington, North Dakota, Colorado, and Hawaii have already passed bills to protest or refuse the REAL ID Act. For more information on efforts to fight this law, visit (http://www.epic.org/privacy/id_cards/).
Because of a $5,000 grant from Trinity Regional Health Systems, children can ride for free with a paying adult in this year's Ride the River event. The basic route is 16 miles, but signs direct participants to rides of up to 60 miles. For a brochure or more-detailed information, go to (http://www.riveraction.org) and follow the Ride the River link, or call Ride the River at (563) 322-7433.
