On Saturday, October 3, the Deere & Company world headquarters in Moline will be one of nine historic sites honored by Landmarks Illinois as part of the 15th-annual Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. Situated on 1,400 acres of land and spanning a man-made ravine, the Deere & Company headquarters was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and is an icon of the Modern movement. Completed in 1964, the original seven-story office complex was the first architectural design to use Cor-Ten steel as a primary building material. For more information on the awards, visit Landmarks.org/awards.htm.
An article in the October issue of Smithsonian magazine hypothesizes that Jackson Pollock structured his famous Mural - currently on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport - around his name. "I'm now convinced that Pollock wrote his name in large letters on the canvas - indeed, arranged the whole painting around his name," writes Henry Adams. The article can be found at SmithsonianMag.com/arts-culture/Decoding-Jackson-Pollock.html.
October is National Chiropractic Month, and on Wednesday, October 28, the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics are presenting a free community health forum called "Keys to Healthy Living" from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Davenport Clinic on the first floor of the Palmer Academic Health Center, 1000 Brady Street. Parking is available in the Davenport Clinic parking lot off Perry Street. In addition to the workshops, tours of the Palmer Academic Health Center will be held at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Trick-shot legend Mike Massey will participate in an exhibition on Wednesday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at Miller Time Billiards, 2902 East Kimberly Road in Davenport. Massey was the 2002 World Artistic Pool Champion and in 2000 and 2001 won the ESPN Trick Shot Magic Championship. Admission to the event is free, but organizers are asking for donations at the door to benefit Chad Hagen and his family.
Quad Cities one-man band Konrad has a live-action/claymation video for his song "Girls Gone Wild" on Radical Turf Records. The video was created by award-winning animator Atom Burke. The video can be viewed online at YouTube.com/watch?v=f3GOjTovM3o; a censored version can be seen at YouTube.com/watch?v=gfYjfKeZLCU.
The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center at the Davenport Main Library (321 Main Street) will host a special genealogy night on Sunday, October 4, from 4 to 9 p.m. Participants will have after-hours access to genealogy databases, books, and census records. Registration is $10 and includes refreshments. To register, call (563)326-7902 or visit QCMemory.org.
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 776 in Bettendorf is currently conducting the first Vietnam Veterans Online Auction, with bidding open until November 1. Auction proceeds will help local veterans and their families. For more information, visit VVA776.org/OLAdex.html.
Once again, the air will be cleaner around the Genesis Medical Center Illini Campus this fall because of an alternative to leaf-burning. Allied Waste Service of Bettendorf will pick up bagged leaves without charge on five consecutive Wednesdays this year starting September 30. Ten free lawn bags will be offered to each home in a designated area near the Illini Campus - bounded by Hospital Road, 11th and 16th avenues, and Third Street in Silvis. The free bags will be available at the front desk of the hospital from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The City of Rock Island has announced it will receive $3.1 million in grants from the Illinois Department of Human Services and the State of Illinois Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The City of Rock Island will partner with Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation to administer the funds. The funding will be used to acquire and renovate properties to provide affordable home-ownership opportunities for moderate-income households, persons with disabilities, and low-income households, as well as to demolish abandoned homes blighting neighborhoods. Only 18 out of approximately 90 grant applications were funded.
The Rock Island City Council recently issued a proclamation declaring October Christian Care Month in recognition of the organization's 93 years of service to the community. Christian Care, a not-for-profit organization that provides meals, shelter, and services to the homeless, hungry, and abused in our community, will host a community block party on October 4 at the Christian Care Rescue Mission at 2209 Third Avenue.
