Credit Island Park reopened on Saturday, October 4. The park has been closed most of the season due to flooding. The golf course will remain closed until spring 2009. Traffic limitations are posted, and the lodge is closed until further renovations can be completed. Two park restrooms are open until the arrival of freezing weather, and two playgrounds are renovated and open. Three park shelters may be used but will not be available for rental until next season.

 

During the first year of the Scott County prescription-drug-discount program, it has saved Scott County residents $320,979. Scott County Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Hancock announced that 36,764 prescriptions were filled with the card at discounts averaging 22 percent, or $8.73 per prescription. County residents can call (563) 326-8702 or visit ScottCountyIowa.com for information on where to pick up the card.

 

The Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition announced that the U.S. Senate and House passed the Amtrak reauthorization bill, which includes the largest-ever funding amount for state intercity passenger-rail capital grants. These grants could help restore passenger rail service from Chicago to the Quad Cities and extended service to Iowa City, Des Moines, and Omaha. The Amtrak provisions were included in House Resolution 2095, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act. The U.S. Senate passed HR 2095 on October 1. The bill now awaits signature by President George W. Bush. For more information about the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition, visit QCRail.com.

 

Operation Medicine Cabinet, a three-day event allowing residents to safely dispose of medications, sharps, mercury thermometers, and sensitive documents, generated 10,847 pounds of material. This included 1,029 pounds of pharmaceuticals, 537 pounds of sharps, 14 pounds of mercury thermometers, and 9,211 pounds of documents for shredding. The event, which was held September 18, 19, and 20 in Eldridge, Bettendorf, and Davenport, served 941 households. For more information, call (563) 381-1300.

 

The Mediation Center of the Quad Cities will hold a volunteer mediator seminar from October 22 to 24. The training begins with participants learning about conflict and how they and other people handle conflict. The training ends with the ability to observe mediators at court. Participants will then be encouraged to continue to observe and move toward being mediators themselves. The cost for the volunteer training is $500 with no volunteer time, or $75 with a commitment of two hours per month for 12 months. For an application, call (563) 445-0557 or visit FamRes.org/QCmcqctrain.

 

Art historian Jeff Kowalski of Northern Illinois University will speak on theories about the ancient Mesoamerican culture of Teotihuacan on October 15 at Black Hawk College. Kowalski's presentation, "Art, Architecture, & Political Organization at Teotihuacan," will be held at noon in the second-floor conference room of Building 4, followed by a question-and-answer period. The Black Hawk College campus is located at 6600 34th Avenue in Moline. For more information, contact Melissa Hebert at (309) 796-5465 or hebertm@BHC.edu.

 

This year NAMI Scott County will offer its free Family-to-Family course at its new office (1706 Brady Street, Suite 200, in Davenport) on 12 Thursday-evening sessions in October, November, December, and January. To register or for more information, call Caroline Vernon at (563) 322-8870. Classes will begin October 16.

 

United Neighbors in Davenport received $20,000 to provide housing-counseling services to home-buyers, homeowners, low- to moderate-income renters, and the homeless. These funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's Housing Counseling Program.

 

The Mu Chi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Fraternity will host its annual Black & Gold Scholarship Ball on Saturday, October 25, at 6:30 pm at the Fifth Season Hotel & Convention Center (formerly known as the Holiday Inn) at 6902 27th Street in Moline. This year, the ball is a fundraiser for the Mu Chi Lambda Chapter Fraternity, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, and Aldridge Early Learning Center in East Moline. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Roscoe Spencer at (309) 792-0622 or (309) 236-9547.

 

The Friends of the Rock Island Library meet October 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Rock Island. The featured speaker is Dave Coopman, author of Images of Rock Island County. The former teacher and Rock Island County Historical Society president has also written two books on the broadcast history of the Quad Cities. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Bobette at (309) 794-6570.

 

Support the River Cities' Reader

Get 12 Reader issues mailed monthly for $48/year.

Old School Subscription for Your Support

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Old School Subscribe now.



Help Keep the Reader Alive and Free Since '93!

 

"We're the River Cities' Reader, and we've kept the Quad Cities' only independently owned newspaper alive and free since 1993.

So please help the Reader keep going with your one-time, monthly, or annual support. With your financial support the Reader can continue providing uncensored, non-scripted, and independent journalism alongside the Quad Cities' area's most comprehensive cultural coverage." - Todd McGreevy, Publisher