17
Dec
2002
• The Moline City Council's Planning & Public Safety Committee approved the first phase of a plan to upgrade the appearance of Moline's downtown streets, meant to build economic connections from River Drive to the Moline Centre, the name of Moline's traditional downtown area along Fifth and Sixth avenues. The streetscaping utilizes a "river wave" theme throughout. Funding for this project comes from money generated by the downtown Tax Increment Financing district. Some of the plan's key design features are kiosks located in strategic areas to guide visitors to stores and activities in the downtown area; special lighting to highlight areas of interest and excitement; and a three-zone concept for the sidewalk areas. The first zone provides open space for easy pedestrian movement along the fronts of buildings. The middle zone is a space for items such as light fixtures, trees, trash receptacles, and plants. And the third zone is a unique flexible space that will enable shop owners to utilize for special occasions the parking spaces in front of their businesses, such as setting tables for customers or having sidewalk sales. Construction on the first phase of improvements will start in the spring and should be finished by July. The first phase includes improvements along 15th Street from River Drive to Fifth Avenue. If the improvements are well received, it is anticipated that additional phases will follow to improve the streetscape in the entire downtown area.
• Genesis Health Services Foundation has added five new scholarships to the Genesis Health Group Scholarship Programs. Ten students seeking health-care degrees are now eligible to receive scholarships toward tuition, books, and fees at accredited institutions in Iowa and Illinois. Four scholarships of $1,500 and six $1,000 scholarships will be offered. For information and applications, contact Genesis Health Services Foundation at (563)421-6865.
• The "Celebrate Your Family Every Day of the Year" 2003 calendars are now available. The calendar is designed to encourage families to engage in activities together throughout the year. Each month there is a list of six different family activities, a place to record special events, and a place to draw a picture of your favorite family activity. This is the fifth year that the calendar has been published. Calendars can be purchased for $1 each, while supplies last, at either of the following locations: Friendly House, Terry Hendershott, (563)323-1821, 1221 Myrtle Street, Davenport, and Churches United, Melanie Jones, (309)786-6494, 630 Ninth Street, Rock Island. Please call first to ensure office hours.
• Representative-elect Jim Van Fossen (R-Davenport) has been named the vice-chairperson of the new House Public Safety Committee, which will assume some of the duties of the existing Judiciary Committee. Van Fossen was elected to the Iowa House in November. The Public Safety Committee will handle crime, public-safety, and homeland-security legislation, while the Judiciary Committee will continue to work on bills involving the courts.
• Kaplan College in Davenport has announced the sponsorship of scholarships for individuals who are enrolling in any criminal-justice program or emphasis. Currently, Kaplan has programs in criminal justice leading to degrees with emphasis in law enforcement, corrections, or security. There is also a Terrorism & National Security Management certification available. For more information on the requirements for the scholarships, visit Kaplan's Web site at (http://ww.kaplancollegia.edu) or call (563)355-3500.
• People around the world will be protesting surveillance cameras on December 24, which has been declared "World Sousveillance Day" or "World Subjectrights Day" by an international coalition of artists, scientists, engineers, scholars, and others. The idea of "sousveillance" is in opposition to surveillance and can be loosely defined as "watchful vigilance from below." On December 24, people are invited to call into question the growing phenomenon of video surveillance in public and private spaces by "watching the watchers": photographing, videotaping, or otherwise documenting video-surveillance cameras in private places (stores, shopping malls, buildings) and in public areas (parks, streets, squares, building surroundings, etc.). Government and corporate officials, while they engage in video surveillance on a regular basis, often prohibit others from taking pictures or video within their establishments. For more information, look at the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Video Surveillance Web page at (http://www.epic.org/privacy/surveillance/) and the "World Sousveillance Day" Web site at (http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm).
• The Davenport Community School District board approved by a 5-1 vote a plan to sell the vacant Grant Elementary School to the Living Hope Community Church for $170,000. Church representative Renee Holm said the church, affiliated with Moline Gospel Temple, will be good for the area. The site will host church services and educational classes, and be a place for senior citizens to meet. Holiday activities and classes will be offered to encourage good family development, especially for young couples and single parents. Activities will begin as soon as the sale is completed. Grant Elementary was one of two schools (Johnson was the other) the board decided to close earlier this year to save money.
• A grassroots initiative to get local communities to stand up for their civil rights can be found at (http://www.bordc.org/) On the Web site are a number of resources to educate, inform, and prompt action for protecting the Bill of Rights. This includes information on the USA PATRIOT Act, tools for getting your community involved, information on how to protect your rights, links to other civil rights organizations, an e-mail newsletter, and much more.
• Genesis Health Services Foundation has added five new scholarships to the Genesis Health Group Scholarship Programs. Ten students seeking health-care degrees are now eligible to receive scholarships toward tuition, books, and fees at accredited institutions in Iowa and Illinois. Four scholarships of $1,500 and six $1,000 scholarships will be offered. For information and applications, contact Genesis Health Services Foundation at (563)421-6865.
• The "Celebrate Your Family Every Day of the Year" 2003 calendars are now available. The calendar is designed to encourage families to engage in activities together throughout the year. Each month there is a list of six different family activities, a place to record special events, and a place to draw a picture of your favorite family activity. This is the fifth year that the calendar has been published. Calendars can be purchased for $1 each, while supplies last, at either of the following locations: Friendly House, Terry Hendershott, (563)323-1821, 1221 Myrtle Street, Davenport, and Churches United, Melanie Jones, (309)786-6494, 630 Ninth Street, Rock Island. Please call first to ensure office hours.
• Representative-elect Jim Van Fossen (R-Davenport) has been named the vice-chairperson of the new House Public Safety Committee, which will assume some of the duties of the existing Judiciary Committee. Van Fossen was elected to the Iowa House in November. The Public Safety Committee will handle crime, public-safety, and homeland-security legislation, while the Judiciary Committee will continue to work on bills involving the courts.
• Kaplan College in Davenport has announced the sponsorship of scholarships for individuals who are enrolling in any criminal-justice program or emphasis. Currently, Kaplan has programs in criminal justice leading to degrees with emphasis in law enforcement, corrections, or security. There is also a Terrorism & National Security Management certification available. For more information on the requirements for the scholarships, visit Kaplan's Web site at (http://ww.kaplancollegia.edu) or call (563)355-3500.
• People around the world will be protesting surveillance cameras on December 24, which has been declared "World Sousveillance Day" or "World Subjectrights Day" by an international coalition of artists, scientists, engineers, scholars, and others. The idea of "sousveillance" is in opposition to surveillance and can be loosely defined as "watchful vigilance from below." On December 24, people are invited to call into question the growing phenomenon of video surveillance in public and private spaces by "watching the watchers": photographing, videotaping, or otherwise documenting video-surveillance cameras in private places (stores, shopping malls, buildings) and in public areas (parks, streets, squares, building surroundings, etc.). Government and corporate officials, while they engage in video surveillance on a regular basis, often prohibit others from taking pictures or video within their establishments. For more information, look at the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Video Surveillance Web page at (http://www.epic.org/privacy/surveillance/) and the "World Sousveillance Day" Web site at (http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm).
• The Davenport Community School District board approved by a 5-1 vote a plan to sell the vacant Grant Elementary School to the Living Hope Community Church for $170,000. Church representative Renee Holm said the church, affiliated with Moline Gospel Temple, will be good for the area. The site will host church services and educational classes, and be a place for senior citizens to meet. Holiday activities and classes will be offered to encourage good family development, especially for young couples and single parents. Activities will begin as soon as the sale is completed. Grant Elementary was one of two schools (Johnson was the other) the board decided to close earlier this year to save money.
• A grassroots initiative to get local communities to stand up for their civil rights can be found at (http://www.bordc.org/) On the Web site are a number of resources to educate, inform, and prompt action for protecting the Bill of Rights. This includes information on the USA PATRIOT Act, tools for getting your community involved, information on how to protect your rights, links to other civil rights organizations, an e-mail newsletter, and much more.
