CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today proclaimed July 29, 2013 to be Dennis Farina Day in Illinois in honor of his outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and for his many years of public service.

WHEREAS, Illinois is a leader in supporting the arts, and acting has always been an important component of the artistic fabric of our state; and,

WHEREAS, one of the most successful actors to come from the Land of Lincoln was Dennis Farina, who was born in Chicago to a Sicilian-American family on February 29, 1944; and,

WHEREAS, Dennis Farina is unique in that he did not start acting until he was 37 years old, after serving in the military for 3 years and working for the Chicago Police Department for 18 years, where he spent most of his time in the burglary division; and,

WHEREAS, while still working in the burglary division, Dennis Farina's big break came when he was hired by director Michael Mann for the movie "Thief" (1981). This movie received critical acclaim, and they would go on to work together many times in the future; and,

WHEREAS, after "Thief," Dennis Farina started acting in Chicago theater before being cast by Mann in a lead role for the 1986 TV series "Crime Story"; and,

WHEREAS, Dennis Farina has acted in numerous other films including "Reindeer Games," "Paparazzi," "Midnight Run," and "Manhunter"; and,

WHEREAS, more recently, Dennis Farina appeared in the feature films "The Grand," "Bottle Shock," and "What Happens in Vegas." In addition, he also appeared on the NBC Series "Law and Order" and in the HBO mini-series, "Empire Falls," for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-Series; and,

WHEREAS, on July 22, 2013, in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dennis Farina passed away at the age of 69; and,

WHEREAS, Dennis Farina's warmhearted nature, passion for acting, and great sense of humor were evident to everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him; and,

WHEREAS, his personality was formed in Chicago and, despite his remarkable accomplishments, he always remained loyal to his hometown; and,

WHEREAS, Dennis Farina is survived by many loving friends and family members including three sons, several grandchildren, and his longtime partner, Marianne Cahill; and,

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim July 29, 2013 as DENNIS FARINA DAY in Illinois, in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the entertainment industry as an actor, and in remembrance of his years of public service to the Chicago Police Department and commitment to the Land of Lincoln.

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible care to all children, formed a children's choir at the Moline campus at the request of the children attending the center.

The children have had a talent show performance, have appeared on Paula Sands Live during the Christmas season, and now will perform a short concert at Southpark Mall in Moline.

WHAT: Moline Skip-a-Long Kids' Choir performance

WHERE: Southpark Mall, food court area

WHEN: Thursday, August 1st at 10:00am

We invite you to join us in celebrating one of the many successful programs at our center, a program created for our children and by our children. They work hard on a weekly basis with our choir director, Linda Backmann, and enjoy being able to have this enhancing experience here at our high-quality, comprehensive early childhood development organization. We provide a safe, healthy, educational environment where learning is fun!

Brucemore's sophisticated and saucy nightclub event, Cabaret in the Courtyard, will showcase nationally-recognized talent from Eastern Iowa during two back-to-back weekends, August 8 - 10 and 15 - 17 at 7:30 p.m. Since 2003, the lovely ambience of the historic courtyard has been magically transformed into a cabaret club with tables, chairs, twinkling lights, and stars on the stage and in the sky.

The first weekend, August 8 - 10, features Sidney Wingfield, Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School alumnus and current resident of Sarasota, Florida. After attending the University of North Dakota on a basketball scholarship, Sid began a musical career that would eventually lead to a 2001 induction into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. An introduction and opportunity to tour Europe with Luther Allison brought him in contact with other musical legends?Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, and B.B. King, to name a few. Beyond performing at Brucemore's Cabaret in the Courtyard in 2004, Sid has performed on European cruises, as well as at the Chicago Blues Festival, Mardi Gras, Milwaukee Summerfest, and more. While notorious for playing locally at the former Piano Lounge, Sid is world-renowned for his boogie-woogie piano solos and mood-inducing organ playing. Sid guarantees the party of the year by fulfilling spontaneous requests in all genres, leading sing-alongs of dueling piano favorites, and an evening of high-energy entertaining.

The second weekend, August 15 - 17, features Chase Garrett, Iowa City native and current resident of New York City. Chase began playing piano at age nine and by seventeen was performing professionally across the United States. In his travels, he has shared the stage with some of today's most influential blues, boogie woogie, and jazz pianists including Axel Zwingenberger, Michael Kaeshammer, and James Goodwin. He is as much of a performer as he is a preservationist, teacher, and producer. He has brought world-class pianists to the Englert Theatre in Iowa City for his annual "Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp" and has taught at blues and swing festivals across the country. Voted the "Star of Tomorrow" in Brucemore's 2009 Cabaret in the Courtyard competition and "Best Local Act" by the Daily Iowan in 2011, audiences will hear a mixture of original and chart songs ranging in musical style from Chicago blues and boogie woogie to Kansas City Swing and New York Jazz.

Advance tickets are $20 per person and $18 per Brucemore member. All tickets are $25 at the gate (if available). Space is limited; please call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org to purchase tickets. Individuals reserving five or more advance tickets will have tables reserved under their name. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. with gates opening at 7:00 p.m. On-site parking is available. Patrons are encouraged to bring their favorite beverages, but no food is allowed. Cabaret in the Courtyard is sponsored by Bankers Trust, Novak Design Group, and Corridor Business Journal.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

Moline, IL. (July 15, 2013) ? There's a new light shining in America's Heartland! Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world's largest religious broadcaster and America's favorite faith-and-family channel, announced the launch of WMWC-TV Channel 53, a new full-power Christian television station covering the four Illinois and Iowa communities known as the Quad Cities: Moline and Rock Island, Illinois on the western banks of the Mississippi River, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa to the east.

"We're excited to welcome Channel 53 to TBN's ever-growing broadcast family," said TBN founder and President, Dr. Paul Crouch. "With the addition of WMWC to our nationwide lineup of full-power stations, over a half-million potential viewers will now have 24-hour access to the life-giving Christian programming that has been TBN's hallmark for the past forty years."

Station manager Tammy Robinson said that while presently TBN is the sole network broadcasting on WMWC, she expects that in the near future Channel 53 will begin multi-casting TBN's four other premier faith-and-family networks: the Church Channel, the JCTV youth network, TBN's Enlace Spanish-language affiliate, and the Smile of a Child children's channel.

Robinson noted that local Quad Cities residents are excited to have a Christian TV station located right in their community. "While TBN has been available in the area through cable and satellite service, there are many folks who either can't afford that service, or live in rural areas where it's not available," she said. "We're already getting letters and calls from some of these individuals and families, thanking us for making TBN available for free over the air."

The network is presently working on construction of a new studio facility for Channel 53 in Moline, Illinois, which will enhance the station's ability to produce programming like Joy in Our Town and a local version of TBN's signature music and ministry program Praise the Lord. "Local pastors have told me that there's been a shortage of good, solid family programming on TV in the area," said Robinson. "Many of our church leaders are really anticipating the positive spiritual impact TBN will have on these communities."

Tim Bowman, senior pastor of Calvary Church of the Quad Cities and president of the Quad Cities Association of Evangelicals, said he and other local clergy are looking forward to working closely with TBN and WMWC on special programming and community initiatives. "It's so encouraging as a pastor to know that Trinity Broadcasting Network sensed a leading of the Lord to purchase a television station and to build a studio in the Quad Cities area to do local programming," he said. "They have committed to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help promote life-giving organizations within our community."

TBN Vice President Matthew Crouch noted that with the combination of cable and satellite coverage, along with its 37 full-power digital stations in communities around the nation, TBN now reaches 98 percent of America's homes with 24-hour faith-and-family TV. "When you add our iTBN.org online portal and our exclusive TBN viewing app available on iPhones, iPads, and smart phones, you begin to understand the meaning of our slogan 'TBN Everywhere' ? that in reality, there is literally nowhere in the inhabited world TBN does not reach."

He added that "this commitment to cover the earth with the hope of the Gospel has been TBN's motivation for the past forty years, and it's what continues to guide all we do."

To find out more about the 24 (and growing) global members of the Trinity Broadcasting Family of Networks, visit us online at www.tbn.org.