21
Oct
2003
• The Davenport Public Library will be getting a new look with the idea of creating a more inviting and efficient atmosphere. A new browsing area will be located in the center of the library's first floor - the first thing one sees on entering the building - to allow easier access for the public to find the latest bestsellers and other current-interest materials. The teen center will also be expanded and will be located adjacent to this area. A new customer-service desk will be located on the north side of the first floor. All the computers for public use will be grouped in one area north of the new customer-service desk. The reference desk has moved east of the customer-service desk and is located at the base of the stairway. This $20,000 project is being funded in part by Iowa Infrastructure funds and a Capital Improvements Funding Project.
• The Senior Computer Center (SCC), located at the Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging at 729 34th Avenue in Rock Island, is open to all seniors in the Quad Cities area who would like help with computer problems. The SCC has nine computer workstations, including one laptop computer. All computers are Internet accessible. Classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. and Friday mornings from 10 a.m. until noon. The cost of the classes is $5 for one month. The center is also handicapped accessible. To attend classes or for more information, call (309)793-6800 or look on the Internet at (http://www.wiaaa.org).
• On September 24, 2003, libertarian Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) joined with liberal Representative and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to introduce the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act (H.R. 3171). The bill is designed to repeal sections of the USA PATRIOT Act that its backers consider unconstitutional. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by 21 other representatives. The name of the legislation is a reference to a famous remark attributed to Franklin, quoted in the text of the bill: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." The bill has already earned the support of prominent civil-liberties organizations. The text of bill can be found at (http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/waronterror/a/unpatriotact.htm).
• River Action continues its Retain the Rain program, an initiative to conserve water and lower flood levels in local rivers and streams by making rain barrels available to Quad Cities citizens and businesses at a reduced price of $25. You can purchase a rain barrel by sending a check for $25 for each barrel (limit two per household) to River Action, 822 E. River Dr., Davenport IA 58021. The barrels will be available for pickup during November. By allowing gutters to empty into these barrels, rainwater can be captured and stored for use in irrigating laws and gardens, washing vehicles, or watering indoor plants. Not only does this slow the path of water into streams and rivers, it helps lower flood levels. For questions, call River Action at (563)322-2969.
• Flex Your Rights is a not-for-profit educational organization working to train individuals to protect their civil liberties during police encounters. They use creative and interactive teaching methods to provide a hands-on understanding of how the protections afforded by the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution can apply to real-life police encounters. The need for people to understand their constitutional rights has become more urgent as these rights have been eroded over the past few decades. Recent decisions by the federal Supreme Court have expanded the scope of police power with respect to search and seizure for the purpose of fighting illegal drugs. In response to this apparent "drug exception to the Constitution," police agencies have adopted more invasive and controversial police tactics, one of the most noteworthy being the use of racial profiling to determine which drivers will be stopped for minor traffic offenses and searched for contraband. The increased public awareness and condemnation of this practice has done much to highlight the problems of racism and the erosion of everyday constitutional rights. For more information, point your Web browser at (http://www.flexyourrights.org).
• The American Cancer Society serves cancer patients in a variety of ways, one of which is supplying wigs to those undergoing treatment. Donated wigs are cleaned and restored by professional salons in the area. If you have wigs to donate for local cancer patients, please call your local American Cancer Society at (309)794-0601 or (800)322-4337 to find a participating salon in your area.
• This year's Mayors' Hunger Luncheon event will be held at noon on Tuesday, November 18, at the Isle of Capri Center in Bettendorf. The mayors of the member communities of the Quad Cities will serve a simple lunch of bread and hearty soup. On this day, we eat simply so that others may simply eat. Everyone is encouraged to attend the luncheon and contribute to benefit those agencies that target their services to the problems of the homeless. All the funds raised will be distributed to those Quad Cities-area agencies. Tickets are $20 per person; tables for 10 are available for $175. Check or money order should be made payable to In from the Cold and mailed to 131 W. 3rd St. Suite M05; Davenport IA 52801. For more information about In from the Cold, call (563)421-4343 or log on to (http://www.qcinfromthecold.org).
• The Senior Computer Center (SCC), located at the Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging at 729 34th Avenue in Rock Island, is open to all seniors in the Quad Cities area who would like help with computer problems. The SCC has nine computer workstations, including one laptop computer. All computers are Internet accessible. Classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. and Friday mornings from 10 a.m. until noon. The cost of the classes is $5 for one month. The center is also handicapped accessible. To attend classes or for more information, call (309)793-6800 or look on the Internet at (http://www.wiaaa.org).
• On September 24, 2003, libertarian Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) joined with liberal Representative and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to introduce the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act (H.R. 3171). The bill is designed to repeal sections of the USA PATRIOT Act that its backers consider unconstitutional. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by 21 other representatives. The name of the legislation is a reference to a famous remark attributed to Franklin, quoted in the text of the bill: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." The bill has already earned the support of prominent civil-liberties organizations. The text of bill can be found at (http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/waronterror/a/unpatriotact.htm).
• River Action continues its Retain the Rain program, an initiative to conserve water and lower flood levels in local rivers and streams by making rain barrels available to Quad Cities citizens and businesses at a reduced price of $25. You can purchase a rain barrel by sending a check for $25 for each barrel (limit two per household) to River Action, 822 E. River Dr., Davenport IA 58021. The barrels will be available for pickup during November. By allowing gutters to empty into these barrels, rainwater can be captured and stored for use in irrigating laws and gardens, washing vehicles, or watering indoor plants. Not only does this slow the path of water into streams and rivers, it helps lower flood levels. For questions, call River Action at (563)322-2969.
• Flex Your Rights is a not-for-profit educational organization working to train individuals to protect their civil liberties during police encounters. They use creative and interactive teaching methods to provide a hands-on understanding of how the protections afforded by the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution can apply to real-life police encounters. The need for people to understand their constitutional rights has become more urgent as these rights have been eroded over the past few decades. Recent decisions by the federal Supreme Court have expanded the scope of police power with respect to search and seizure for the purpose of fighting illegal drugs. In response to this apparent "drug exception to the Constitution," police agencies have adopted more invasive and controversial police tactics, one of the most noteworthy being the use of racial profiling to determine which drivers will be stopped for minor traffic offenses and searched for contraband. The increased public awareness and condemnation of this practice has done much to highlight the problems of racism and the erosion of everyday constitutional rights. For more information, point your Web browser at (http://www.flexyourrights.org).
• The American Cancer Society serves cancer patients in a variety of ways, one of which is supplying wigs to those undergoing treatment. Donated wigs are cleaned and restored by professional salons in the area. If you have wigs to donate for local cancer patients, please call your local American Cancer Society at (309)794-0601 or (800)322-4337 to find a participating salon in your area.
• This year's Mayors' Hunger Luncheon event will be held at noon on Tuesday, November 18, at the Isle of Capri Center in Bettendorf. The mayors of the member communities of the Quad Cities will serve a simple lunch of bread and hearty soup. On this day, we eat simply so that others may simply eat. Everyone is encouraged to attend the luncheon and contribute to benefit those agencies that target their services to the problems of the homeless. All the funds raised will be distributed to those Quad Cities-area agencies. Tickets are $20 per person; tables for 10 are available for $175. Check or money order should be made payable to In from the Cold and mailed to 131 W. 3rd St. Suite M05; Davenport IA 52801. For more information about In from the Cold, call (563)421-4343 or log on to (http://www.qcinfromthecold.org).
