02
Apr
2002
• The Midwest Writing Center will be moving into the first floor of the Goldman Building in the Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District later this month. The office space, adjacent to the new MidCoast Fine Arts Gallery West, features a large front room, a main office, and the shared use of two conference rooms, a kitchenette, and restroom facilities. The late David Collins worked for many years to find a home for the Midwest Writing Center, and the Site Selection Committee for the center has worked for the past year to make this dream a reality. The Midwest Writing Center will be located among other arts organizations already residing in the District, including MidCoast Fine Arts, Glass Impact, and Quad City Arts.
• You can make your voice heard concerning the possible closing of Johnson and Grant elementary schools. The Davenport Community School District has established a telephone line for input on potential budget cuts at (563)336-5031. Calls made to the community line will be answered and recorded by the district's voice-mail system. The phone line has been established in conjunction with a task force that is examining alternatives to closing Johnson and Grant schools. The community can also forward ideas via email to (thiessenb@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us).
• The Fejervary Children's Zoo is offering the opportunity to adopt an animal friend at the zoo. For $20 per year, you can become a friend to any of the creatures in the zoo. These donations go directly to the Fejervary Zoological Society and are used to provide nutritional supplements, toys, supplies, or exhibit enhancements for the animals. When you become a friend, you receive recognition on the "Friends" sign for one year, an adoption certificate, and zoo facts about your animal. All contributions are tax-deductible. To become a friend or to buy a gift for someone else, call the friends hotline at (563)326-7859.
• The green and white signs of Quad City area Firstar Banks are being replaced by red, white, and blue U.S. Bank signs. The new signage is the result of the merger of Firstar Corporation and U.S Bancorp that was completed on February 27, 2001. The transformation of all Firstar Bank locations to the new U.S. Bank name will be completed by this summer. For details on the merger and future changes, look on the Web at (http://www.firstar.com) or (http://www.usbank.com).
• Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is expected to sign a bill creating new exceptions to the state's public-records and open-meetings laws. Inspired by the September 11 attacks, Senate File 2277 was passed unanimously and would shield certain records of a public airport, city, municipal utility, or rural water district. Additionally, a governmental body could meet in private session to discuss the records, such as architectural diagrams, construction plans, and security-assessment studies. The law would be automatically removed from the books in five years unless the legislature chooses to renew it.
• The Putnam Museum has released IMAX attendance figures for the first days of its theatre's operation. Exactly 9,600 people saw the film presentation Journey into Amazing Caves in the nine days after the March 16 opening. (It was projected that the theatre would attract 6,057 during the period.) There were a total of 44 public film presentations during the nine days, with an additional 10 film presentations taking place for school groups. More than 1,300 area schoolchildren visited the IMAX Theatre during the first full week of operation, with groups coming from as far away as Burlington, Iowa.
• Among white-collar crimes in the nation, insurance fraud ranks second to only tax evasion. The impact of insurance fraud is difficult to measure because a great deal goes undetected, but evidence does show that fraud is widespread and impacts everyone's insurance rates. The estimated cost of insurance fraud nationwide runs as high as $160 billion per year. That cost breaks down to $1,627.83 for every family.
• The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has won another round in its effort to compel the disclosure of information about the FBI's controversial Carnivore Internet-surveillance system. In an order issued on March 25, U.S. District Judge James Robertson denied a government motion for summary judgment and directed the bureau to expand its search for records about Carnivore. Public disclosure of information concerning Carnivore is particularly important in the aftermath of September 11, as such investigative techniques are likely to increase in use. The controversial USA PATRIOT Act, quickly passed by Congress last fall, expressly authorizes the use of Carnivore and imposes certain reporting requirements when it is used by investigators. Judge Robertson's order is available at (http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/court_order.html).
• Legislation passed on a 92-1 vote in the Iowa House would require all Iowa convicted felons to submit to DNA testing. Now on Governor Tom Vilsack's desk, House File 2201 would create a statewide DNA database. Only those people convicted of forcible felonies such as rape or murder are now forced to submit to DNA testing. Thirteen states now require all felons to submit to DNA testing, with 25 other states expected to consider similar legislation this year. Funding for the program - which is expected to cost approximately $1 million - would be sought from the federal government.
• The 335,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has condemned the planned increase of first-class postage rates from 34 to 37 cents. The organization notes that federal law prohibits private companies from providing first-class mail delivery service. Additionally, the U.S. Postal Service is exempt from all taxes, zoning laws, vehicle registration fees, and other rules and regulations that apply to private sector companies. Nevertheless, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Postal Service has experienced productivity growth of 11.1 percent in the past 30 years, compared with 53.4 percent for all private-sector companies. For more information, look for "The U.S. Postal Service: Is It Time to End the Monopoly? NTU Issue Brief 129" at the National Taxpayers Union Web site (http://www.ntu.org) or call (703)683-5700.
• You can make your voice heard concerning the possible closing of Johnson and Grant elementary schools. The Davenport Community School District has established a telephone line for input on potential budget cuts at (563)336-5031. Calls made to the community line will be answered and recorded by the district's voice-mail system. The phone line has been established in conjunction with a task force that is examining alternatives to closing Johnson and Grant schools. The community can also forward ideas via email to (thiessenb@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us).
• The Fejervary Children's Zoo is offering the opportunity to adopt an animal friend at the zoo. For $20 per year, you can become a friend to any of the creatures in the zoo. These donations go directly to the Fejervary Zoological Society and are used to provide nutritional supplements, toys, supplies, or exhibit enhancements for the animals. When you become a friend, you receive recognition on the "Friends" sign for one year, an adoption certificate, and zoo facts about your animal. All contributions are tax-deductible. To become a friend or to buy a gift for someone else, call the friends hotline at (563)326-7859.
• The green and white signs of Quad City area Firstar Banks are being replaced by red, white, and blue U.S. Bank signs. The new signage is the result of the merger of Firstar Corporation and U.S Bancorp that was completed on February 27, 2001. The transformation of all Firstar Bank locations to the new U.S. Bank name will be completed by this summer. For details on the merger and future changes, look on the Web at (http://www.firstar.com) or (http://www.usbank.com).
• Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is expected to sign a bill creating new exceptions to the state's public-records and open-meetings laws. Inspired by the September 11 attacks, Senate File 2277 was passed unanimously and would shield certain records of a public airport, city, municipal utility, or rural water district. Additionally, a governmental body could meet in private session to discuss the records, such as architectural diagrams, construction plans, and security-assessment studies. The law would be automatically removed from the books in five years unless the legislature chooses to renew it.
• The Putnam Museum has released IMAX attendance figures for the first days of its theatre's operation. Exactly 9,600 people saw the film presentation Journey into Amazing Caves in the nine days after the March 16 opening. (It was projected that the theatre would attract 6,057 during the period.) There were a total of 44 public film presentations during the nine days, with an additional 10 film presentations taking place for school groups. More than 1,300 area schoolchildren visited the IMAX Theatre during the first full week of operation, with groups coming from as far away as Burlington, Iowa.
• Among white-collar crimes in the nation, insurance fraud ranks second to only tax evasion. The impact of insurance fraud is difficult to measure because a great deal goes undetected, but evidence does show that fraud is widespread and impacts everyone's insurance rates. The estimated cost of insurance fraud nationwide runs as high as $160 billion per year. That cost breaks down to $1,627.83 for every family.
• The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has won another round in its effort to compel the disclosure of information about the FBI's controversial Carnivore Internet-surveillance system. In an order issued on March 25, U.S. District Judge James Robertson denied a government motion for summary judgment and directed the bureau to expand its search for records about Carnivore. Public disclosure of information concerning Carnivore is particularly important in the aftermath of September 11, as such investigative techniques are likely to increase in use. The controversial USA PATRIOT Act, quickly passed by Congress last fall, expressly authorizes the use of Carnivore and imposes certain reporting requirements when it is used by investigators. Judge Robertson's order is available at (http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/court_order.html).
• Legislation passed on a 92-1 vote in the Iowa House would require all Iowa convicted felons to submit to DNA testing. Now on Governor Tom Vilsack's desk, House File 2201 would create a statewide DNA database. Only those people convicted of forcible felonies such as rape or murder are now forced to submit to DNA testing. Thirteen states now require all felons to submit to DNA testing, with 25 other states expected to consider similar legislation this year. Funding for the program - which is expected to cost approximately $1 million - would be sought from the federal government.
• The 335,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has condemned the planned increase of first-class postage rates from 34 to 37 cents. The organization notes that federal law prohibits private companies from providing first-class mail delivery service. Additionally, the U.S. Postal Service is exempt from all taxes, zoning laws, vehicle registration fees, and other rules and regulations that apply to private sector companies. Nevertheless, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Postal Service has experienced productivity growth of 11.1 percent in the past 30 years, compared with 53.4 percent for all private-sector companies. For more information, look for "The U.S. Postal Service: Is It Time to End the Monopoly? NTU Issue Brief 129" at the National Taxpayers Union Web site (http://www.ntu.org) or call (703)683-5700.
