Moline, Illinois? The Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce and Genesis at Work are proud to present the 2009 State of the Community Address. This year's event will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 12:00pm at the i wireless Center in Moline.

East Moline Mayor John Thodos and Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Rick Baker will deliver this year's address. Listen to the local economic factors and learn about exciting economic developments that are underway in the Quad City area. The State of the Community Address will also serve as the Chamber's Blueprint2010 update.

The Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting reservations for the 2009 State of the Community Address. The cost to attend is $15 for Illinois Quad City Chamber members and $25 for guests. Registration is through the Chamber's website at www.quadcitychamber.com or by calling (309) 757-5416.

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(ROCK ISLAND, IL) - The Royal Neighbors Foundation continues its efforts in Parkersburg, IA by sponsoring a "Remembrance & Renewal" breakfast on Monday, May 25 from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Parkersburg Veterans Building at 205 Cemetery Street.  Iowa Governor Chet Culver will speak at this special event marking the 1-year anniversary of the F5 tornado that damaged or destroyed over 400 homes in this small Iowa town.

Royal Neighbors began their relationship with Parkersburg in October 2008 by announcing its Foundation will assist two women as they rebuild their lives after a tornado destroyed their homes.  Construction on one home began earlier this month.

"We're pleased to have the opportunity to help these women rebuild their lives after such a devastating disaster," said Judith Tshibangu, Vice President of the Royal Neighbors Foundation. "Our organization's Foundation is dedicated to changing women's lives.  In Parkersburg, we are doing this by assisting two individuals in starting over in their newly built homes."

Royal Neighbors of America is a non-profit fraternal life insurance corporation dedicated to helping women and their families for close to 115 years. It insures lives, supports women, and serves communities by offering insurance and annuity products. Its members receive valuable benefits and can participate in a variety of local volunteer activities.

The Royal Neighbors Foundation is an independent philanthropic arm of Royal Neighbors of America.  As a 501(c)(3) public charity, it was established to promote charitable and educational causes that align with the organization's mission.  Its focus is changing women's lives by supporting programs such as scholarships for women veterans and building homes.

For more information about Royal Neighbors of America and the Royal Neighbors Foundation, call (800) 627-4762, or visit www.royalneighbors.org.

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Rock Island, IL - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Rock Island District has teamed with New Orleans District and other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offices to design and construct the greater New Orleans area Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS). This $14.3 billion project is designed to reduce storm surge risk to the greater New Orleans area and be completed in 2011.

Rock Island District opened the doors to its Rock Island New Orleans Support (RINOS) Office and will celebrate the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 1 at 1 p.m. on Rock Island Arsenal, Building 68, third floor.

Congressman Phil Hare Joins Corps for May 1 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony  

The RINOS office is responsible for providing New Orleans District with project management, engineering, design, contracting, real estate and other support for four specific HSDRRS projects totaling nearly $1 billion of construction, and includes the world's largest interior drainage pumping station. The four projects are on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the greater New Orleans area. The Rock Island District plans to bolster its workforce by hiring more than 100 government employees and contractors in 2009, mostly engineers and scientists, to help complete the four projects and meet other increased workload requirements. Half of those will be working full-time in the RINOS office.

Recognizing that a tremendous amount of work must be completed in a very short timeframe, Corps leadership is leveraging the expertise of all six Corps Districts in the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) and other Corps and professional organizations to include the Engineer Research and Development Center, which has a major laboratory in Champaign, Illinois associated with the University of Illinois.

A top domestic priority for the nation, the HSDRRS incorporates 350 miles of levees and floodwalls designed to reduce the risk of flooding during a storm event that has a one percent chance of occurring any given year in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina, in August 2005, flooded approximately 80 percent of New Orleans. With post-Katrina design criteria and full federal funding, the Corps is on track to provide this level of risk reduction in 2011. The RINOS office is helping the Corps meet that objective.

Col. (Ret.) Tom Hodgini, formerly the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - St. Louis District, has been chosen to lead the RINOS team. Stanley Consultants of Muscatine, Iowa, is working with New Orleans District contractor ECM-GEC JV of Metairie, Louisiana, to provide engineering support to the RINOS Office.

"We are honored to be able to provide some of our expertise in this part of the Mississippi Valley and Midwest to assist the nation in accomplishing this important mission in New Orleans," said Col. Robert Sinkler, Rock Island District Commander. "We will still be able to accomplish the New Orleans mission, complete 2008 Midwest flood recovery efforts, and meet all of our other responsibilities within the five 300-mile river basins of the Midwestern state area we serve."

For more information about the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System visit the web @ http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/hps2/

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Public awareness campaign showcases "Worlds connect @ your library®" theme

CHICAGO - The Moline (Ill.) Public Library is the winner of the 2009 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant.

The $3,000 grant, sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing and administered by the American Library Association's (ALA) Public Awareness Committee, is awarded annually for the best public awareness campaign in support of National Library Week (April 12-18, 2009).   This year, libraries were asked to develop a proposal using the 2009 National Library Week theme, "Worlds connect @ your library."

The Moline Public Library's campaign will be a community "kaleidoscope" of library programs to promote National Library Week, as well as the library's entire year of programming and promotions in 2009. Librarians Lisa Powell Williams and Christina Conklin said the library is like a kaleidoscope, having many different shapes, colors and ideas that connect the community.

Each day will focus on a different "kaleidoscope" themed program such as a visit from Skylab, a traveling planetarium provided by the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education for children and families, author appearances by Chris Crutcher and James Loewen organized through the Quad City Arts' Super Author program for teens and educators, and a jazz appreciation program for adults.

Throughout the spring, the library will advertise on some of the city's Metrolink buses. The library will also create a commercial that will be aired on Moline's local ABC-TV affiliate, WQAD, during the program, "Good Morning, Quad Cities" throughout National Library Week. Outreach to area press is also planned for the weeks leading up to National Library Week.

"Moline Public Library has created a unique program built around the energy of National Library Week but that incorporates a sustainable momentum designed to carry the library into the future," said Lisa R. Rice, chair of the National Library Week Subcommittee.

Members of the 2009 National Library Week Subcommittee are: Lisa R. Rice (chair), Bowling Green (Ky.) Public Library; Elliot L. Appelbaum, Lexington (Ky.) Public Library; Gordon Baker, Clayton State University, Morrow, Ga.; Darlene Basone, school library consultant, Maineville, Ohio, Renee DiPilato, Alexandria (Va.) Public Library - Duncan Library; Susan Kowalski, Pine Grove Junior High School, East Syracuse, N.Y.; Amanda Murphy, Warren-Trumbull County (Ohio) Public Library - Liberty Branch; and Tony Tallent, Boulder (Colo.) Public Library.

The Campaign for America's Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is ALA's public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.  Thousands of libraries of all types - across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign's @ your library® brand. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA's Library Champions (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/contactus/librarychampions/index.cfm), corporations and foundations who advocate the importance of the library in American society

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic, creates a multitude of products, both in print and online, for the school and public library market under the imprints of Grolier®, Children's Press®, Franklin Watts®, and Grolier OnlineTM.