Noted urban planner Jeff Speck - the co-author of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl & the Decline of the American Dream - will be visiting Davenport through August 14 and will present his ideas for revitalizing downtown Davenport on Thursday in the Deere Auditorium of the Figge Art Museum. The one-hour presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a meet-and-greet. There is no charge to attend, and the Figge galleries will be open to lecture attendees. "In Thrall of Sprawl," an article about Speck, was published in the River Cities' Reader on July 3, 2007.
Education Design Showcase has named the renovation of St. Ambrose University's Christ the King Chapel a 2008 "Project of Distinction Winner." The project - which was part redesign, part restoration, and part expansion - provides worship space designed for today's best liturgical practices. In addition, a large gathering area was created; lighting, sound, and environmental controls were modernized; the roof was replaced; and the chapel was made physically accessible to all.
The City of Rock Island is looking to honor all neighbors who helped others with storm-aftermath cleanup. If you feel a neighbor deserves recognition for kind actions, nominate him or her for the "Good Neighbor Award" to show your appreciation. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, August 29, at 5 p.m. Nominations after this date will not be accepted. A nomination form can be found at (http://www.rigov.org) under "headlines."
Scott County Board Chair Jim Hancock announced that Dee F. Bruemmer, the City of Davenport's public-works director, has accepted a conditional offer of employment as the Scott County administrator. Her appointment was approved Monday. Bruemmer is expected to begin the job in October.
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' office wants to return lost, forgotten, and abandoned funds to Rock Island-area residents. A representative from Giannoulias' office will conduct Cash Dash searches on the state's online database from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, August 18, in the second-floor Community Room at the Rock Island Public Library, 401 19th Street. The Cash Dash program reunites Illinois residents with what is legally known as "unclaimed property" - anything from long-lost bank accounts to entire estates that never made it to a rightful owner. For more information, visit (http://www.ripl.lib.il.us) or call (309) 732-7323.
The Scott County Sheriff's Office donated more than a dozen refurbished bicycles to children mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley's youth mentoring program on August 6. The bikes are the product of the Bicycle Repair/Restoration Program, in which prisoners in the county jail are taught how to repair discarded and donated bikes to learn a marketable vocational skill. All the refurbished bikes are returned to the community. For more information about the Bicycle Repair/Restoration Program, call (563) 325-8625.
Davenport has received a $286,000 Iowa Great Places grant for completion of the Active Recreation Corridor in Centennial Park. Davenport was named one of Iowa's Great Places in October 2007 by Governor Chet Culver.
The Quad City Wind Ensemble will hold an open rehearsal at 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, in Madsen Hall in the Galvin Fine Arts Building at St. Ambrose University. Area musicians interested in joining the Quad City Wind Ensemble are invited to attend the open rehearsal, meet the director and members, and participate in the first rehearsal of the season. For more information about the Quad City Wind Ensemble, visit (http://www.freewebs.com/quad-city-wind-ensemble).
Xstream Cleanup is seeking hundreds of volunteers to clean up 39 sites in the Quad Cities area on Saturday, August 16, from 8:30 a.m. until noon. No previous cleanup experience is necessary, and supplies will be provided. Interested persons should register online at (http://www.xstreamcleanup.org) by August 13.
