On Thursday, September 6, the "Nina" - a replica of Christopher Columbus' favorite ship - will open itself up to the public in Davenport. The ship will be docked at Oneida Landing, adjacent to the Boathouse Restaurant, until her departure early on Monday, September 17. While the ship is in port, the general public is invited to visit for a self-guided tour. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, and $3 for students; children four and under are admitted free. The ship will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit (http://www.thenina.com).

Rick's House of Hope hosts a sweet kick-off to its fall support groups with the annual Giant Banana Split and Fall Kick-Off Party on Thursday, August 23 at 6 p.m. Tours of the facility, a meet-and-greet with staff, and a 20-foot long banana split will highlight the event, designed to introduce families to the services available from Rick's House of Hope, a grief and trauma recovery center for children. Through its programs for young people and their families, Rick's House of Hope - located at 4867 Forest Grove Drive in Bettendorf - provides support, understanding and compassion during painful periods of grief or traumatic loss. For more information, call Rick's House of Hope at (563) 324-9580, or Genesis Medical Center's Spiritual Care Department at (563) 421-7970. 

A new Bix Beiderbecke Hall, located at the Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre and being planned by the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Society, was announced last week by Dana Waterman, Putnam Board of Trustees chair. The proposed $1.38-million, 1,300-square-foot interactive space will be constructed in the Grand Lobby of the Putnam Museum. It will house Putnam-owned Bix artifacts, Bix Society archives, and rarely seen photographs and footage from collectors worldwide. Bix's cornet and the Beiderbecke family piano will also be on display. The project was originally begun more than a decade ago through funding from Riverboat Development Authority. Approximately $35,000 has been raised to date by the Bix Hall Committee for initial expenses and archival costs. For more information about Bix-society fundraising efforts, contact Howard Braren at (563) 343-9606 or (info@bixsociety.org).

Jim Graham, former station manager for KWQC-TV6 and current goodwill ambassador and president emeritus for the station, has been awarded the 2007 Governor's Volunteer Award in Iowa in the category of "individual volunteer's exceptional achievement or contribution to [an] agency/organization." The nomination for Graham, submitted by United Way, included the following excerpt: "Jim exemplifies the meaning behind his station's tagline 'The Station That Cares for You' as a tireless and enthusiastic champion for youth in our community. Through United Way, Jim Graham served as a founding member of the Success by 6 Governing Body, led a record-breaking United Way campaign, and currently serves on the United Way board of directors as a co-chair for the Successful Children & Youth Focus Team - all while serving in leadership roles with Boy Scouts and organizationally leading efforts to support the American Red Cross, Race for the Cure, Gilda's Club, Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, Scott County Kids, and the Student Hunger Drive."