Dale Haake of Davenport is the fourth Quad City Poet Laureate, joining former laureates Dick Stahl, Rebecca Wee, and Kathleen Lawless Cox. The new Quad City Poet Laureate will officially begin his two-year term on Wednesday, April 16, at 7 p.m. at the Quad City Arts Center, 1715 Second Avenue in Rock Island. There, Haake will be formally introduced to the public and will give a reading of his work. The event is free and open to the public, and will be happening in conjunction with National Poetry Month.
Art Pitz will lead a discussion of Israel at the Moline Public Library on Monday, May 12, at 7 p.m. Pitz will cover the origins and impact of modern political Zionism in addition to foreign and domestic issues that have influenced the country's 60-year history. This event is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. More information about Pitz can be found at his Web site (http://www.professorshouse.net) or at his blog (http://www.qctimes.com/blogs/?cat=82).
The Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Student Government Association invites interested persons to participate in the Tunnel of Oppression from 2 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 18, at the WIU-QC campus, 3561 60th Street in Moline. The Tunnel of Oppression is an educationally focused program created in 1994 within the Macomb campus residence halls to promote and enhance multicultural understanding and acceptance. Since its inception, the Tunnel of Oppression has been replicated in various formats at hundreds of college campuses across the country. The program is designed to aggressively confront and challenge students' emotions and experiences in an effort to increase empathy for individuals from different backgrounds. For more information, contact Christine Ciasto at (cr-ciasto@wiu.edu) or (309) 762-9481.
The Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health will host a public forum regarding the marketing and selling of energy drinks to adolescents and young adults not yet 21 years old. The event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, in the Jardine Auditorium at Trinity's West Campus, 2701 17th Street in Rock Island. The forum is free and open to the public, and will discuss strategies to address the issue of substance abuse. For more information, call the Robert Young Center at (309) 779-3071.
At last week's Leader to Leader Breakfast, a proclamation was signed declaring May 11 to 17 Military Appreciation Week. Quad Cities Mayors Freemire, Gluba, Schwiebert, Thodos, and Welvaert, along with Rock Island County Board Chair Jim Bohnsack, Scott County Board Chair Jim Hancock, and Rock Island Arsenal Garrison Manager Joe Himsl, came together to sign this proclamation to show their support of our local military and veterans. Local businesses are encouraged to honor our region's active and retired military during Quad Cities Military Appreciation Week by offering a discount or promotion to active military personnel, their families, and veterans.
Musco Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa, has awarded $75,000 to assist in the construction of two new Iowa Public Radio (IPR) stations in the Ottumwa, Oskaloosa, and Fairfield areas. KUNZ at 91.1 FM was launched on March 21 and currently broadcasts IPR's classical-music service 24 hours a day. KDWI at 89.1 FM will launch in the next few months and will broadcast IPR's news and information service during the day and Studio One, IPR's alternative-music service, at night.
Moline High School Violence Intervention Prevention Team will present "Saving Youth Relationships," a free conference for teens, on Sunday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Highland Park Bowl, 4204 Avenue of the Cities in Moline. Sign up by contacting Lisa Beckwith at (309) 797-5332 or (lbeckwith@riroe.k12.il.us). The event is open to all Quad Cities youth in high school for the 2008-9 year. This conference is free and brought to you by the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority Youth Led Mini Grants.
The Iowa State Department of Public Health has received $2.5 million to provide services and heath care to people living with HIV/AIDS through the Ryan White Care Act from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The funding will improve the quality, availability, and organization of HIV/AIDS health care and support services. It also provides access to medications.
