River Action is hosting the second-annual Taming of the Slough Mississippi Adventure Race on Saturday, September 15, starting at 7:30 a.m. The race begins in downtown Moline at the Quad City Rowing Association boathouse at 17th Street and the Mississippi River. The canoe/kayak leg is one mile in Sylvan Slough; the mountain-bike leg continues onto Sylvan Island; and the run heads back through downtown Moline, finishing at Bass Street Landing for a post-race party. Register online at (http://www.riveraction.org), or for more information contact River Action at (563) 322-2969 or (dan@riveraction.org).
Musician and blues educator Michael "Hawkeye" Herman will conduct a free workshop on Saturday, October 6, for musicians, educators, and anyone else interested in conducting "blues in the schools" workshops. The event will be held in the performance room at the River Music Experience from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hawkeye is the only blues musician in the nation who is offering such a workshop, and says there is a real need for blues educators in Iowa. Those interested are encouraged to contact the Mississippi Valley Blues Society office at (563) 322-5837, or visit (http://www.mvbs.org) by October 1 to register.
A Bettendorf man's film will be shown on Saturday, September 22, at 1 p.m. at the Max Allan Collins Film Expo in Waterloo, Iowa. Written and directed by Ian Klink, Spurs is a Western filmed on location at the Scott County Pioneer Village. It tells the story of four outlaws who come together in a ghost town and discover deadly realities about their way of life.
The Quad City Botanical Center received the largest grant in the 2007 cycle of the Doris & Victor Day Foundation - $146,783. Rock Island/Milan School District 41 received support for a community coordinator, a truancy program, and a new Vo-Tech program in a $110,000 grant. Grant applications are due May 1 of each year with the announcement of grants after Labor Day. Recipients are IRS-recognized not-for-profit organizations. Information about the foundation may be found at (http://dayfoundation.org).
Genealogy classes for all ethnic groups will be conducted at the German American Heritage Center in Davenport from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings September 20 through October 25. This beginning genealogy class covers topics such as library research, record keeping, documentation, courthouse records, and census records. A field trip to a major research repository will be included. Advanced classes will be held in spring 2008. The cost for the six-week session is $40, and the deadline for reservations and payment is September 17. To make reservations, call (563) 322-8844, e-mail (director@gahc.org), or send reservations to the center at 712 W. 2nd St., Davenport IA 52802.
The Illinois Quad City Chamber will be hosting the Emerging Business Showcase at the Lodge in Bettendorf on Tuesday, September 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Emerging Business Showcase is meant as an opportunity for small businesses to market their products and services to the business community. Table rental is limited and costs $100 per eight-foot-long table. Tables must be reserved by September 14. For more information, call (309) 757-5416.
U.S. Representative Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) is accepting nominations to the United States Armed Services Academies from Iowa's First Congressional District for the entering class of 2008. Reprentative Braley nominates up to 10 candidates from the district for each available vacancy at the four service academies: the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy. Applicants are judged on the basis of character, scholarship, physical aptitude, medical fitness, and motivation. The application deadline is October 15. For more information and an application packet, contact Karen Erickson at (319) 287-3233 or (karen.erickson@mail.house.gov). Further information about academy nominations can be found at (http://braley.house.gov).
Every year, American consumers - including many senior citizens - lose billions of dollars as the result of consumer fraud. In recognition of 2007 DollarWise Week (September 24 through 29), the Rock Island Public Library will sponsor a program about the various types of scams and schemes and the warning signs to look for. The program, "Schemes, Scams, & Flimflams," will be offered Wednesday, September 26, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Rock Island Public Library, 401 19th Street in downtown Rock Island. The program is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to re-teach the program to other groups. To register, call Debra Bartman at (309) 792-2500 by 4 p.m. on Monday, September 24.
A "Night Out for Educators" will be held on Friday, September 21, at the St. Ambrose University Rogalski Center, located at the corner of Ripley and Lombard streets in Davenport. The event begins at 5 p.m. with prizes, food, and vendors. Admission to the event is $15. For more information, contact Rachel Serianz at (563) 333-6114 or (SerianzRachelK@sau.edu).
