The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) last week named Davenport one of Iowa's "Great Places." The announcement came after the Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board concluded a four-day tour of seven finalist locations and made its recommendations to DCA Director Cyndi Pederson, who approved the advisory board's recommendations. The program asks communities to develop proposals that address seven dimensions that make places special: engaging experiences; rich, diverse populations and cultures; a vital, creative economy; clean and accessible natural and built environments; well-designed infrastructure; a shared attitude of optimism that welcomes new ideas; and a diverse and inclusive cultural mosaic. For more information, look at (http://www.culturalaffairs.org).
The design of the renovation of Davenport's federal courthouse received a "Citation" award presented by the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Justice. The $15.6-million renovation was completed in October 2006. The award was presented at the Academy of Architecture for Justice Sixth International Conference on Courthouse Design, held September 26 through 28 in New York City. In addition to the award, the project was featured in the June/July issue of Courts Today and the 2007 Justice Facilities Review. It also received the Lorraine D. Wright Award of Excellence for design presented by the National Association of Women in Construction Quad Cities Chapter.
The Healing Waters Empowerment Project continues its Domestic Violence Community Forum Series with a two-day conference and a theatrical performance on Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27, at Second Baptist Church, 919 Sixth Avenue in Rock Island. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Shellie Guy at (563) 209-0587 or (shelliemooreguy@yahoo.com).
Nir Zernyak, an Israeli volunteer at the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, will be teaching conversational Hebrew classes for beginners and advanced students. An introductory meeting will be held at the Bettendorf Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 22. All Hebrew levels are welcome. The cost for 15 classes is $50. Please RSVP at (309) 793-1300 or (aross@jfqc.org).
David Chipperfield Architects, which designed the Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport, has earned the most prestigious prize in British architecture for the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar, Germany. The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is the most prestigious in United Kingdom architecture.
On Tuesday, November 13, University of Illinois Extension Specialist Ted Funk and Extension Educators Jay Solomon and Debra Bartman will discuss what people can do to save money, conserve energy, and protect the indoor air quality in their homes in the program "Keep Dollars in Your Pocket: Simple Steps to Saving Energy in the Home." The program will be held at University of Illinois Extension, 4550 Kennedy Drive in East Moline, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. There is a $10 fee, and registrations are due by November 8. You can sign up online at (http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/rockisland) or call (309) 796-0512.
The political ideas of such philosophers as Aristotle, Plato, and Machiavelli will be demystified at St. Ambrose University's Fifth Annual Folwell Lecture in Political Science & Pre-Law on Thursday, October 18, at 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the campus' Rogalski Center. Michael Palmer, professor of political science at the University of Maine, will present "Teaching Political Animals: How the Great Books & Great Teachers of Political Thought Contribute to a Liberal Education." The lecture is free and open to the public, with a reception following.
The Rock Island Public Library is hosting a group show from the Artists Advisory Council (AAC) for the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. Aac(k) runs though October 31 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. For details, visit (http://www.ripl.lib.il.us).
The Quad City Animal Welfare Center (QCAWC) has announced a new Web site at (http://www.qcawc.org). The new site features a calendar of events, pictures of animals available for adoption, an alumni page, and a tour of the shelter. The QCAWC adoption center is open Monday through Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesday until 6 p.m. The facility is located at 724 West Second Avenue in Milan and can be reached by phone at (309) 787-6830.
National Lampoon will be releasing The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell in theaters on October 19, featuring three songs by Ameranouche, an acoustic gypsy-jazz trio based on the East Coast but featuring a Rock Island native. The musicians are guitarist Richard Sheppard from New Jersey, Ryan Flaherty from Rock Island, and bassist Xar Adelberg from Augusta, Maine. More information about Ameranouche can be found at (http://www.ameranouche.com).
