10
Dec
2002
• Riverssance Festival of Fine Arts has announced the formal consolidation of its organization and festival event with local arts agency MidCoast Fine Arts. Representatives of both organizations have met and signed an agreement uniting Riverssance with MidCoast to continue orchestration of the Riverssance Festival held annually in late September in Davenport's Lindsay Park. Riverssance Festival of Fine Arts began as an alternative cultural event in the summer of 1987. Conceived by artists in the "Lonely Arts Club," the festival was seen as a way to give established and emerging art talent new opportunities for exposure and sale of their work. The philosophy of "artists helping artists" was at the core of the event development. Kathy Nelson, Riverssance board president, said, "We knew we had a great event with this past year being our most successful ever, but we also realized that our goals were demanding more involvement in community arts programming on a year-round basis and more ways to maximize our event's capabilities to achieve that year-round involvement. It became more than our core group knew it could accomplish by itself. We came to the decision to offer the reins of Riverssance to MidCoast Fine Arts because we believed MidCoast to be the most trusted and capable of carrying on the Riverssance legacy and achieving its goals."
• In June 2001, Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) became the first blood center in the United States to introduce technology utilizing an interactive video donor-screening system. Called the Quality Donor System (QDS), it is used at MVRBC's donor centers in Davenport, Iowa City, Muscatine, Ottumwa, and West Burlington in Iowa and in Galesburg, Macomb, Moline, and Rock Island in Illinois. This month, the system has been introduced in the bloodmobile, which travels to communities throughout the blood center's service region. The next step will be to place it at the fixed mobile donor centers held at Graham Hospital in Canton, Illinois, and Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton, Illinois. Mobile blood drives hosted by area businesses, churches, schools, and organizations will be the final implementation phase. QDS uses a touch-screen computer that takes donors through the screening process. The computer and donor communicate in complete privacy via earphones, text, and graphics. Donors proceed through each screen, responding to questions at their own pace. At completion, a card is printed and a staff member reviews it with the donor to determine their suitability to donate. To see this system for yourself by donating, make an appointment by calling (563)359-5401 or through the Web at (http://www.bloodcenter.org).
• The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has announced grants of $175,853 distributed from the Community Impact Fund in 2002. The grants support not-for-profit organizations serving the community in the areas of health, human services, education, cultural arts, and community development. In addition, more than $145,000 was awarded to area high-school seniors from scholarship funds. Grant applications can be found at (http://www.cfgrb.org). Check after May 1 for an updated application. For more information on how you can help local not-for-profit organizations through the Community Foundation today or as part of your estate plan, visit the group's Web site or call (563)326-2840.
• Humanities Iowa, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, approved 16 awards for humanities projects, including a grant of $2,000 to CommUniversity in Davenport for its 24th annual session at St. Ambrose University. CommUniversity will be held February 2, 9, 16, and 23. The awards are given through a competitive application and review process and are made possible through funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Major grants from Humanities Iowa are awarded twice annually, in November and June. The organization is particularly interested in supporting projects that stimulate meaningful community dialogue, attract diverse audiences, are participatory and engaging, and invite discovery of the humanities in interesting and exciting ways. Grants are awarded to not-for-profit organizations that serve an Iowa public. The next deadline for applications is May 1. The guidelines and application are available on Humanities Iowa's Web site at (http://www.humanitiesiowa.org), or call (319)335-4153 to request a copy.
• Since it opened in June 1998, the Quad City Botanical Center has been offering the public the opportunity to purchase personalized engraved bricks to line the walkway in the tropical Sun Garden conservatory. Each brick features a personalized message of up to three lines, with 10 characters/spaces per line. So far, more than 1,700 engraved bricks have been purchased to commemorate anniversaries, weddings, births, retirements, loved ones who have passed away, and other special occasions. They currently sell for $70 per brick. Because of rising production costs, the price of the engraved bricks will be raised to $100 on January 1. To order an engraved brick, call the Quad City Botanical Center at (309)794-0991 extension 25. Or you can stop by the Center at 2525 Fourth Avenue in Rock Island to place your order.
• According to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report examining the implementation of state medical-marijuana laws in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and a handful of California counties, state laws legalizing the use and possession of medical marijuana under a doctor's supervision are operating primarily as voters intended and have not led to widespread abuses. Eight states have enacted medical-marijuana-legalization laws since 1996. Preliminary data compiled by the GAO reported that the majority of patients using medical marijuana were males over 40 years of age. Only one state, Alaska, reported registering a medical-marijuana patient under age 18. Most patients qualified to use medical marijuana under the state laws used it to treat symptoms of chronic pain and/or multiple sclerosis, the GAO found. The GAO report, Marijuana: Early Experiences with Four States' Laws That Allow Use for Medical Purposes, can be seen at (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03189.pdf).
• The Trinity Visiting Nurse & Homemaker Association (VNHA) has received grant funds from the Moline Foundation designated for wellness clinics for the under-served and minority populations in Rock Island and Moline. In response, VNHA has scheduled a free wellness clinic at the La Floreciente Center in Moline from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 14. Eighteen people will be screened for cholesterol, glucose, blood-pressure, vision, and respiratory irregularities. Flu and pneumonia shots will also be given at no cost to participants. Appointments for the free clinic are still being taken. Those interested in participating must contact Irma Cruz, La Floreciente Center office manager, at 736-3646. A Spanish interpreter will be available at the clinic.
• In June 2001, Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) became the first blood center in the United States to introduce technology utilizing an interactive video donor-screening system. Called the Quality Donor System (QDS), it is used at MVRBC's donor centers in Davenport, Iowa City, Muscatine, Ottumwa, and West Burlington in Iowa and in Galesburg, Macomb, Moline, and Rock Island in Illinois. This month, the system has been introduced in the bloodmobile, which travels to communities throughout the blood center's service region. The next step will be to place it at the fixed mobile donor centers held at Graham Hospital in Canton, Illinois, and Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton, Illinois. Mobile blood drives hosted by area businesses, churches, schools, and organizations will be the final implementation phase. QDS uses a touch-screen computer that takes donors through the screening process. The computer and donor communicate in complete privacy via earphones, text, and graphics. Donors proceed through each screen, responding to questions at their own pace. At completion, a card is printed and a staff member reviews it with the donor to determine their suitability to donate. To see this system for yourself by donating, make an appointment by calling (563)359-5401 or through the Web at (http://www.bloodcenter.org).
• The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has announced grants of $175,853 distributed from the Community Impact Fund in 2002. The grants support not-for-profit organizations serving the community in the areas of health, human services, education, cultural arts, and community development. In addition, more than $145,000 was awarded to area high-school seniors from scholarship funds. Grant applications can be found at (http://www.cfgrb.org). Check after May 1 for an updated application. For more information on how you can help local not-for-profit organizations through the Community Foundation today or as part of your estate plan, visit the group's Web site or call (563)326-2840.
• Humanities Iowa, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, approved 16 awards for humanities projects, including a grant of $2,000 to CommUniversity in Davenport for its 24th annual session at St. Ambrose University. CommUniversity will be held February 2, 9, 16, and 23. The awards are given through a competitive application and review process and are made possible through funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Major grants from Humanities Iowa are awarded twice annually, in November and June. The organization is particularly interested in supporting projects that stimulate meaningful community dialogue, attract diverse audiences, are participatory and engaging, and invite discovery of the humanities in interesting and exciting ways. Grants are awarded to not-for-profit organizations that serve an Iowa public. The next deadline for applications is May 1. The guidelines and application are available on Humanities Iowa's Web site at (http://www.humanitiesiowa.org), or call (319)335-4153 to request a copy.
• Since it opened in June 1998, the Quad City Botanical Center has been offering the public the opportunity to purchase personalized engraved bricks to line the walkway in the tropical Sun Garden conservatory. Each brick features a personalized message of up to three lines, with 10 characters/spaces per line. So far, more than 1,700 engraved bricks have been purchased to commemorate anniversaries, weddings, births, retirements, loved ones who have passed away, and other special occasions. They currently sell for $70 per brick. Because of rising production costs, the price of the engraved bricks will be raised to $100 on January 1. To order an engraved brick, call the Quad City Botanical Center at (309)794-0991 extension 25. Or you can stop by the Center at 2525 Fourth Avenue in Rock Island to place your order.
• According to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report examining the implementation of state medical-marijuana laws in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and a handful of California counties, state laws legalizing the use and possession of medical marijuana under a doctor's supervision are operating primarily as voters intended and have not led to widespread abuses. Eight states have enacted medical-marijuana-legalization laws since 1996. Preliminary data compiled by the GAO reported that the majority of patients using medical marijuana were males over 40 years of age. Only one state, Alaska, reported registering a medical-marijuana patient under age 18. Most patients qualified to use medical marijuana under the state laws used it to treat symptoms of chronic pain and/or multiple sclerosis, the GAO found. The GAO report, Marijuana: Early Experiences with Four States' Laws That Allow Use for Medical Purposes, can be seen at (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03189.pdf).
• The Trinity Visiting Nurse & Homemaker Association (VNHA) has received grant funds from the Moline Foundation designated for wellness clinics for the under-served and minority populations in Rock Island and Moline. In response, VNHA has scheduled a free wellness clinic at the La Floreciente Center in Moline from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 14. Eighteen people will be screened for cholesterol, glucose, blood-pressure, vision, and respiratory irregularities. Flu and pneumonia shots will also be given at no cost to participants. Appointments for the free clinic are still being taken. Those interested in participating must contact Irma Cruz, La Floreciente Center office manager, at 736-3646. A Spanish interpreter will be available at the clinic.
