Each month on the third Thursday, the Lardner Balcony at the Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre is used for an after-work cocktail party. At this month's Martinis to the MAX on May 21, climber Paddy Blackman will be on-hand to share her real-life experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. Tickets are required for Blackman's 7 p.m. presentation. For more information, visit Putnam.org.
The Rock Island, Davenport, and Bettendorf public libraries hosted Community Shred Days during Money Smart Week Quad Cities, April 18 through 25. The four events collected 16,596 pounds of personal paperwork - an increase of 33 percent over last year. The program was originally created to help people reduce their risk of identity theft, but the collection days also have a "green" benefit. For example, recycling those 8.3 tons of paper will save 141 trees, 58,100 gallons of water, 3,154 gallons of oil, and 672.3 cubic feet of landfill space, and will power 4.15 homes for a year.
Officials with the Quad-City Times Bix 7 have announced plans to increase the cash prize for first place for both the men and women at this year's Seven Mile USAT&F's American Championships. First place awards will be a 2009 automobile or $12,500 in cash. Previously announced was $10,000 in cash or an automobile.
Expect to see more directional signage on the Mississippi River Trail this summer. Davenport and Bettendorf were awarded an Iowa Department of Transportation grant to pay for signs. RiverWay communities in Illinois were not eligible for the Iowa funds but will purchase signs to be installed as well. River Action hosted a meeting April 3 to discuss details and the joint purchase with Illinois RiverWay communities. For more information, visit RiverAction.org.
The Figge Art Museum is recruiting individuals for its docent program. Interested individuals are required to attend an informational session. For more information, contact Ann Marie Hayes-Hawkinson at (563)326-7804 extension 7887 or ahayeshawkinson@figgeartmuseum.org.
Freedom Quest '09 is a caravan that will bring together people from across Illinois calling for freedom for people with developmental disabilities. A kick-off rally for Rock Island County will be held on Tuesday, May 19, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the i wireless Center, 1201 River Drive in Moline. For more information, call (309)797-4677 or (309)786-2362.
Rivermont Collegiate has announced senior Shravan Chintalapani has been chosen as a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholar for the 2009-10 academic year. Students selected as Byrd Scholars must rank in the top 2 percent of their class during their junior year, score 31 or above on the ACT or a 1450 on the SAT, or have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or above. The scholarship is renewable for four years. Next year, Shravan will be studying at the University of Miami in the honors program in medicine.
Quad Cities-area children entering third through fifth grades this fall are invited to attend Enviro-Kids, a new environmental-education program that will meet five Saturdays this summer and end with a family campout in August. The cost for Enviro-Kids is $5 per child, and children can attend one or all of the Saturday programs. Younger children can attend Enviro-Kids if accompanied by an adult. For more information, call (563)468-4218 or visit ILiveHereQC.org to download the flier and registration form.
Journalist Tony Horwitz traveled through 10 states in search of the America's fascination with the 1860s and the Civil War. His book Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War will be discussed at the Moline Public Library (3210 41st Street) on Thursday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit the Reference Desk or call (309)736-5737.
On Saturday, May 9, members of the local Modern Woodmen of America camp gathered at First Avenue and 20th Street in Rock Island to plant a flowering crab tree as part of the fraternal benefit society's Plant a Tree program. Introduced by Modern Woodmen in 2004, the program aims to plant thousands of trees across the United States this year.
