01 Feb 2010

Family & Friends of Reece Morgan

By Kim Riley-Quinn

The newly -formed group, Family and Friends of Reece Morgan, invite you to join in their effort to keep Reece Morgan's legacy alive in the Quad Cities. Reece was a man who possessed what seemed to be tireless energy which he generously shared with hundreds of youth in the Quad Cities. Reece mentored youth about the importance of respecting others, of embracing education and most importantly, about dreaming big. Sadly, Reece died unexpectedly of natural causes in October of 2009, leaving a significant void in the QC community. Reece never met a child he didn't believe had great potential and he was always looking for ways to open their eyes to new and exciting possibilities.
The Family and Friends of Reece Morgan are mobilizing to keep Reece's good work moving forward. They will be joining forces with QC United, a local non-profit organization, to support The Dreams Come True Trip to Washington DC scheduled July 11th, 2010. This trip will provide 40 underserved students from the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the many learning opportunities that are awaiting them in our Capital.

As part of this effort, the Friends and Family of Reece Morgan are excited to be part of the Ray Blue Concert...A Tribute to Ray Charles, which is a fundraiser for the Dreams Come True Trip. This concert will be in Reece Morgan's honor and the proceeds from this event will support the Dreams Come True Trip to Washington DC.

Cliff Hinton, one of Reece's close friends, said it best: "I can see Reece now, grinning from ear to ear, saying, 'That's what I'm talking about!'"
The public is invited to join the Friends and Family of Reece Morgan at the Ray Blue Concert...A Tribute to Ray Charles. Come and be part of the effort to keep Reece's passion for our youth, alive and kick'n in the QC.

The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center and the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf are sponsors of this event.
The Ray Blue Concert...A Tribute to Ray Charles

  • When:  Saturday, February 27th, 8pm (doors open at 7pm)
  • Where:  Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center, 2021 State St. Bettendorf
  • Tickets: Available at all local Hy-Vee stores
  • Available at all local Co-op Record Stores
  • Available online at: www.qcunited.org
  • Cost:  $20 in advance, $30 at the door.
  • VIP Tickets- $50 (provides seating at an eight-person table with complimentary champagne)

For more information contact Kim at 563-349-1870 or Mike at 563-505-0269

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28 Jan 2010

25th Annual Red and White Founders Day Banquet and Ball

By Maryulett Johnson
The Moline-Davenport Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is hosting its 25th Annual Red and White Founders Day Banquet and Ball on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at The Lodge (formerly Jumer's Castle Lodge) in Bettendorf, Iowa.Our annual ball is our major fundraiser used to help provide scholarships to deserving college bound students of the Quad City community. Entertainment will be provided by The Westbrook Singers and dynamic speaker Tionn Fambro.  Tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance. For ticket information please contact Mary Chestang at 563-514-7960 or maryulett@hotmail.com.
28 Jan 2010

Freight House Farmers' Market February events

By Rick Martin
Feb 2: Cooking With Cathy: Egg-cellent recipes that demonstrate that eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore.

Feb 9: Cooking with Cathy: Beef up your meals with the addition of local beef.

Feb 13: Share The Love Food Drive with CCC Food Pantry and Cafe on Vine: Bring in donations of shelf-stable foods, purchase fresh foods from our vendors or donate cash that will benefit our locals in need of help.

The Freight House Farmers' Market is located at the west end of the Freight House complex, 421 West River Drive, Davenport. The Farmers' Market is open year around indoors on Tuesday from 3pm until 6pm and Saturdays from 8am until 1pm.
25 Jan 2010

KAABA Shrine Circus

By Rick Martin

Come see the KAABA Shrine Circus at the Davenport RiverCenter February 5th thru 7th. Seven spectacular shows! See the show for only $10 by saving $5  if you purchase your tickets before February 5th.

  • Friday, February 5th shows at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, February 6th shows at 12 Noon, 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, February 7th shows at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
  • (doors open 30 minutes prior to the shows.)

You can purchase discount tickets at all Quad Cities area HyVee store through February 4th. Tickets available online at www.kaabashrinecircus.com. Tickets also available at the KAABA office, 511 Veterans Parkway (East 65th Street), Davenport.

Ticket prices are $15 for General Admission and $25 for Premium Box Seats. Premium Box Seats available online or at the door only. General Admission ticket upgrades may be available at the door if space is available. Children under 3 admitted free.

Proceeds of the KAABA Shrine Circus benefit the KAABA Shriners and their wonderful programs. Tickets are not tax deductible.

The Davenport RiverCenter is located at 131 East 3rd Street in downtown Davenport.

 

19 Jan 2010

The Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

By Guadalupe Salsido

Come join us for the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's First Annual Meeting.

You are invited to celebrate with us as we highlight past year accomplishments and recognize our volunteers and those businesses who invest in our community.

Thursday, January 21, 2010 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moline Community Center, 1613 5th Ave., Moline, IL 61265.

Cost $10 per ticket. Please RSVP by January 15, 2010 to (309) 721-9072.

Presentations for Volunteer of the Year and Latina Small Business and Latino Small Business.

18 Jan 2010

Cecilia's Benefit - January 23rd

By Farrah Elshoff
Benefit for 4 year old Cecilia to be held on Saturday, January 23rd at the Martin Luther King Center, 630 - 9th St, Rock Island from 4pm until 7pm. Your $5 ticket includes a taco dinner. Raffle tickets for i-Wireless phone package, men's and women's watches, wallets and purses and much more. Bid in the Silent Auction for Cecilia's art work. Questions, or to make a donation, please contact Cora at 309-373-0156.
14 Jan 2010

Richard Katrovas to Read in The River Readings at Augustana

By Margaret Rogal

Augustana College, Rock Island, IL - Writer Richard Katrovas reads from his work in The River Readings at Augustana on Thursday, February 4.

The recipient of numerous grants and awards, Katrovas is the founding academic director of the Prague Summer Program, and is the author of six books of poetry, Green Dragons, Snug Harbor, The Public Mirror, The Book of Complaints, Dithyrambs and Prague Winter; a book of short stories, Prague USA; two memoirs, The Years of Smashing Bricks and The Republic of Burma Shave; and a novel, Mystic Pig. He is a professor of English at Western Michigan University.

Of The Years of Smashing Bricks, Patricia Hampl wrote, "Richard Katrovas has become an indispensable masculine voice, by turns brash and strikingly tender. These short stories form a strong, singular narrative, but they are also individual pieces of beauty and insight. Maybe only a poet can write memoir with this kind of torque."

The reading is free and open to the public and takes place Thursday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, inside the Denkmann building (3520 7th Ave.) on the Augustana College campus. A reception follows the reading.

The River Readings at Augustana is sponsored by the Institute for Leadership and Service, the Thomas Tredway Library, and the English Department at Augustana College.

The River Readings at Augustana calendar:

February 4, Richard Katrovas, poetry, fiction, and memoir

March 18, Chris Offutt, fiction and memoir

April 15, Daniel Woodrell, fiction

13 Jan 2010

HISTORY CHANNEL'S 'AMERICAN PICKERS' HAS DEEP ROOTS IN THE QUAD CITIES

By Rick Martin

(DAVENPORT) - Although 'American Pickers,' a new reality series debuting on the History Channel on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. local time, follows its stars Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz across the country as they scour for hidden antique gems, it has a longstanding history in the Quad Cities.

The show started in Le Claire, Iowa, with nothing but Wolfe's handheld video camera documenting his and Fritz's unique finds, quirky characters met along the way and amazing stories never-before captured. Numerous junkyards, basements, garages and barns later, the pair had accumulated hours of amateur footage that would later be used to create the 'American Pickers' pilot by local film production company,  
Crazy Eyes Productions.

Wolfe and Fritz crossed paths with Crazy Eyes Productions' owner Justin Anderson in a chance-happening meeting at a Bettendorf coffee shop. Of their first meeting, Anderson recalls, "I thought their back-story was really interesting, and knew it had potential to become something even bigger."

Crazy Eyes Productions quickly got to work thereafter, producing more than a dozen shorts and a full 22-minute pilot for the show. Wolfe's box of 20-something unlabeled tapes quickly became a unique look into the business of finding, selling and buying antiques in America.

"When we met Justin, the project starting coming together," remembers Wolfe. "He created the stories and gave it a professional look with interesting graphics to make it ready for T.V."

Anderson is thrilled that Wolfe, Fritz and their company, Antique Archaeology, will now be nationally recognized for their hard work and creativity.

"It was my first big project when I started Crazy Eyes Productions and has definitely been a favorite to work on. I'm very excited to watch the premiere with Mike and Frank," he details.

Crazy Eyes Productions invites all of the Quad Cities to watch the series premiere of American Pickers with its staff and the show's stars Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz on Jan. 18 at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Davenport. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the show airing at 7 p.m.

For more information on American Pickers, visit  
www.history.com/content/american-pickers.

About Crazy Eyes Productions

Crazy Eyes Productions is a video production and creative media company based in downtown Davenport, Iowa.  Owner Justin Anderson and T.V. Producer Frank Otero specialize in creative marketing, animation, and video production. Other related credits include graphic titles for a show that premiered on the History Channel in September 2008.  Currently, the company is working on the development of two new scripted comedy pilots for T.V., among other area ventures. For additional information, visit www.CrazyEyesProductions.com.

# # #

06 Jan 2010

The Respect Campaign Rally

By Jo Cohrs

The Respect Campaign in cooperation with others presents a very special rally on January 18, 2010 at Beyond the Baseline on the campus of the former Marycrest College in Davenport from 2pm til 6pm.

The program will consist of local and regional talent along with exhibitions and informational booths. Our keynote speaker will be Branden Johnson from Longview, Tx who was instrumental in the formation and operation of a pro-peace initiative in Longview which resulted in a measureable reduction in violent crime in recent years in that city. That program continues on in that city and continues to show success.

Mr. Johnson is a small business owner who felt compelled to take a leadership role in order to preserve the community he calls home. He is also a native of the Quad Cities having been born in East Moline where his mother Drucilla Johnson still resides.

The program is sponsored by the Quad Cities faith-based community, which consists of many local churches, along with Beyond the Baseline and local elected officials. The focus of the rally is to maintain a presence in the community and to provide a venue where victims of violent crime can be heard, to bring people together so that those who serve can come in contact with those in need of service so that a network might be established in order to close some of the gaps that exist in society.

The public is invited and admission is free.

15 Dec 2009

New Years at Noon - A YMCA Holiday Tradition

By Kathy Horrell

NEW YEARS AT NOON

Bettendorf and Maquoketa Area Family YMCAs CELEBRATE 2010 WITH qca faMILIES!

BETTENDORF and MAQUOKETA, IA - December 15, 2009 - The clock is ticking and soon we will be rolling the calendar over into 2010. Celebrating the coming of a new year is a traditional "adult" event, but not anymore! Quad City area families are invited to attend New Years at Noon on Thursday, December 31 at the Bettendorf and Maquoketa Family YMCAs

"Our New Years at Noon event started out as a small gathering a few years ago and has grown into one of our most popular family events at the Scott County Family Y," said Tony Calabrese, Vice President of the Scott County Family Y.  "For many area families this celebration has become a holiday tradition. Each year we see more and more families join us for the festivities."

Bettendorf's New Years at Noon

New Years at Noon will be held from 10:30 a.m. - Noon, at the Bettendorf Family YMCA, 3800 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf. The event is free for YMCA members and $3 per person for community members. This holiday tradition will include a count down to noon with father time, a balloon drop and party favors and holiday treats. In addition members and guests can also enjoy the area's only indoor aquatic center, which includes a 2-story water slide, zero-depth entry pool with frog slide, dew drop and bubblers.

Maquoketa's New Years at Noon

New Years at Noon at the Maquoketa Area Family YMCA will be held from 10am - 1:30pm, on Thursday, December 31. The event is $5 for YMCA family members and community families. The cost includes a holiday craft, swimming, snacks and a balloon drop at noon. The Maquoketa YMCA is located at 500 E. Summit Street, Maquoketa, Iowa. For more information about Maquoketa event call (563) 652-6566.

The Bettendorf and Maquoketa Family YMCAs are branches of the Scott County Family Y. Other branch locations include : Downtown Family YMCA, 606 West Second Street; North Family YMCA, 624 West 53rd Street; West Family YMCA 3503 West Locust Street, all in Davenport. For more information about the Bettendorf event call (563) 359-YMCA (9622) or visit the Scott County Family Y web site, www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org.

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