The Friends of Vander Veer annual Plant Sale features hundreds of plants with a wide selection of annuals, perennials, and tropicals. An outstanding selection will be available, along with experts on hand to help the public pick the perfect plants for their yards. Proceeds from this sale support Vander Veer Botanical Park.

Friday, April 25th

3:00-6:30 p.m. (Friends Members-Only Preview Sale)

Become a Member and get first pick of the outstanding plant selection

Saturday, April 26th

10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Public Sale)

Sunday, April 27th

10:00-2:00 p.m. (Public Sale)

Friends of Vander Veer website

 

FRIENDS POTTING PARTY

Learn more about Container Planting through The Friends' Potting Party!

Thursday, April 24th from 6:30-8:00 pm

Class Fee $5 plus plant and soil costs; Register by calling 563-323-3298

Join plant expert Paula Witt and learn how to plant stunning containers. Bring your own container - our experts will help you choose from a great selection of plants available for purchase. Bring your own soil or purchase bag soil at cost.

The Friends of Vander Veer is a non-profit organization that supports beauty, education, and restoration at Vander Veer Botanical Park. Plant Sale Sponsors include Davenport Parks and Recreation, Davenport Public Works, and The Green Thumbers.



VANDER VEER SPRING FLOWER DISPLAY

Get rid of those winter blahs at Vander Veer Conservatory. Our spring flowers are in full bloom. Open 10am - 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday (Closed Monday). Admission is free on Tuesdays, and only $1.00 the rest of the week.

Vander Veer Botanical Park Conservatory, 215 West Central Park in Davenport.

CALENDAR

 

Beginning April 1st - Interiors by the Sewing Room "Celebration of Light Savings Event" offering a Rebate promotion on select Hunter Douglas shades. Give your windows a fresh look and save some money along the way. Call 309-755-0045, or stop in for details!

 

April 1st - 12th - Expressions In Threads Celebrates Expansion and 10th Anniversary Grand Reopening! Special Sales all days. Saturday April 5th - Janome Sewing Machine educator will demonstrate the Janome 15000 embroidery machine.

 

April 4th - Frist Friday 5-8p.m.

Mississippi River Distilling Company - Honey Whiskey is back! Food and Spirit Tastings www.mrdistilling.com

Wide River Winery - Wine Samples. www.wideriverwinery.com

Faithful Pilot - Live Music - The Matriarchs - 7:30

Aunt Hattie's - Come in for a red velvet cupcake!

Razzleberries - Booze cake while it lasts!

Restaurants and several shops will be open late!

 

April 4th-5th - Girls Getaway Weekend 2014! Dinner and Fashion Show at Steventon's. The mid-west's funniest standup comic, Bobby Ray Bunch. Top Chef Winner, Robert Day cooking class. Carissa Evens hosts a Beauty Boot Camp by BC Mobile Spas. Prize Drawing every hour 11am to 4pm.  Wine tastings at the Wide River Winery and Grasshoppers. Free tour at the Mississippi Distilling Company. Wine & Murder Mystery Game. Goodie bag and more! $45 per person. Sign up: www.Leclairegirlsgetaway2014.com

 

April 4th, 5th, 6th - Urban Classic Home "Spring Fling" Weekend Unique decor, Custom Creations. Get ready for Spring Fever!

 

April 5th - LeClaire Community Library - Adult Basket Weaving Program10:30am-1:30pm. Call the library at (563)289-4242, ext. 4 to reserve your spot!

 

April 5th-12th LeClaire Community Library - Money Smart Week - "Dash for the Stash" The DASH for the Stash will be Scavenger hunt played at nearly 100 libraries and other locations across the state. The statewide winner will be awarded $1,000 to open or add to a retirement investment account. Stop by or call the Library for more information!

April 8th - Chamber Networking Lunch - Riverview Roadhouse noon. Presentation by Junior Achievement of the Quad Cities. Everyone welcome!

 

April 9th - LeClaire Community Library - Annual Friends of the Library Spelling Bee. Stop by the library or call after March 27th for more details about this popular program.

 

April 12th - Dahl Ford's 2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt! 11am-2pm. Easter Bunny, Bounce House, Face Painting and more. Three different hunts for (1-2 yrs old, inside) (3-5 years old) and (6-12 years old). Rain or shine, no rain date. Admission is non perishable food item to be donated to the Riverbend Food Bank. Please bring no more than two (2) adults per child.

 

April 15th - LeClaire Community Library Children's Local Author Jill Esbaum will be visiting the library as part of our celebration for National Library Week! Jill will read one of her own books at 6:30pm and will talk about the importance of reading and writing. She will stay after to answer any questions and sign books.

 

April 19th - Trivia Night in LeClaireBenefits Buffalo Bill Museum. LeClaire Civic Club. Doors open 6:30pm; game starts 7pm. $10 per person.  Bring your own, or purchase refreshments.  Brisket dinner also available for purchase. Seewww.LeClaireCivicClub.org for details and to register!

April 20th - Easter Sunday - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire Two worship times, 8 and 10a.m. Free Easter Breakfast at 9a.m.

 

April 20th - Bier Stube - Easter Sunday Breakfast - 8-11a.m. Great menu, bottomless Bloody Mary's and Mimosas available. Make reservations today!

 

April 20th - Faithful Pilot - Easter Brunch 2 seatings, 10:00 & 12:30 - 3 course brunch for $30.00.  No coupons, or gift certificates valid.

 

April 21st - Economic Development Meeting LeClaire City Hall - 8-9:30 a.m.

 

April 23rd - LeClaire Community Library - Estate Planning with Community Foundation of the Great River Bend 6pm. This event is free and open to anyone in the community

 

Save the Date

May 2nd - First Friday in LeClaire

May 3rd - Our Lady of the River Catholic Church 3rd Annual Trivia Night2800 216th Street Place, LeClaire, IA. Doors open at 6, trivia starts at 6:30. $10 per person. Drinks and Cinco de Mayo themed Food for sale. Participants may bring food and soda, beer or wine.  Ages 12 or older may play.  Door prizes, pay out to top 2 teams.  Proceeds will go to the Parish Hall Remodel Project.  Contact Janice at tjvrom@gmail.com or (563)289-3232 for table reservations and more information.

 

May 14th - Spring Concert at the LeClaire Community Library with 'Spiked Lobelia'. 6pm. Spiked Lobelia says they are both a prairie flower and a band, "Old time country/Irish/Bluegrass/eclectic goodness through & through". Bring a snack and friends for this fun family-friendly event in the brick courtyard outside the library, weather permitting. (Rain location is inside the library).

 

FYI

Celebration Belle 2014 Cruising Season April 2nd - October 31st.  Make reservations online at www.celebrationbelle.com or call 1-800-297-0034

 

Buffalo Bill Museum returns to Summer Hours as of April 5th, closing at 5pmdaily.

From Riverbend Signworks We're pleased to announce our first GiveAway contest! http://riverbendsignworks.com/giveaway/ Win a chance to secure some free signage from Riverbend Signworks!

Mississippi River Distilling Company of LeClaire was recently recognized with 8 different awards at international tasting competitions including the San Francisco World Spirits Competition where Distillers and Importers submitted 1,474 spirits from 63 countries. River Rose Gin earned a gold medal, Cody Road Bourbon received a silver medal while Cody Road Rye Whiskey and River Pilot Vodka received bronze medals. The Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago honored Cody Road Bourbon and Cody Road Rye with silver medals and River Rose Gin a bronze medal. At the February annual conference of the American Craft Distillers Association in Denver, MRDC's peers selected River Rose Gin as a bronze medal winner. Country Living Magazine selected Cody Road Bourbon as one of the magazine's favorite bourbons made outside of Kentucky.  Whisky Advocate Magazine featured the Cody Road Whiskies in their tasting notes and buying guide along with a feature on the distillery on the magazine's blog. Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturdayand from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.

August 10th - LeClaire Community Night, Modern Woodman Ball Park.Game time 5:00pm, River Bandits/Beloit Snappers. Mayor Bob Scannell will throw first pitch! A night to celebrate businesses and folks of Leclaire. Awards or special on-field recognition can be done followed by short video on mega-tron highlighting special places and faces in LeClaire filmed the week before. Businesses or groups interested in participating may contact Amanda Henzen, Account Executive and Director of Merchandise 563.333.2729 amandah@riverbandits.com

LeClaire Information Center Volunteers Needed! Contact Cindy Bruhn atinfo@visitleclaire.com or 563-650-7963 to volunteer.

 

Visit the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce website www.leclairechamber.comand see us on Facebook!

 

If you would like to attend a Chamber Board Meeting in order to present a topic, please contact the Board in advance at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com in order to be included an upcoming agenda. Board Meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of each month.

 

PROPERTY LISTINGS

Commercial Property Available - 1295 and 1297 Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, Iowa. Please call: Mike Burke - Mel Foster Co. mburke@melforsterco.com, Mobile: 563-349-2705, Direct: 563-823-5272

Commercial Space for Sale or Lease/Purchase - 204 Jones St. - Call 563-370-2386 for more information. Will show by appointment. Commercially zoned only.

Park Run Apartments/Newbury Living complex - 1, 2, & 3 Bedrooms Available - 1701 Iowa Drive, LeClaire, Iowa 52753. 1 BR, 2 BR or 3 BR unit. Call(563) 289-5159 more information today!

Do you have Residential or Commercial property available? Please contact the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce, leclairechamber@gmail.com, with a property description, complete contact information including phone numbers and rental or purchase pricing.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire Sunday School each week for all ages at9 am and worship at 10 am Join us every Wednesday from March 12- April 9 for a free soup supper at 6:15 pm and worship at 7 pm. Palm Sunday, April 13, 10 am worship. Maundy Thursday Worship with Communion on April 17, 7p.m. Tuesday, May 20 Women's Mini-retreat, 9:30 am to 12 noon, cost $6.Call Pastor Melody, 563-381-7777.

LeClaire Events Coming Up!

April 4-5 - Girls Getaway Weekend

April 25 - Masonic Center LeClaire-Taco Bar 6:30-7:30 proceeds to BSA Venture Crew 212

May 2-3 - French Market Days

May 3-4 - LeClaire Community Library Book Sale

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

June 6-7 - City Wide Garage Sales

August - Tug Fest

October 12- Apple Fest

October - Witch's Walk

December - Christmas in LeClaire

Rock Island, IL: Friends of the Rock Island Public Library will a half-price book sale from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, April 3 at the Rock Island 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street.

And if the weather cooperates, you can also visit the sale room's outside patio for free, all you can take book sale finds The every other month book sale helps the Friends of Library clear space for new donations.  The next half-price book sale is Thursday, June 3, although the room is always open during 30/31 Branch hours.

Friends of the Library half-price sales are good at the 30/31 location only.

For more information about services and programs for children, teens and adults, visit the library's online branch at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ (7323) or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.

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Hilltop Campus Connection, 4:30pm to 7:00pm tonight (Thursday that is).

Join us to see the newly renovated space at Katie McButts, 1516 Harrison Street

Enjoy beverages of preference and some great food (pizza, baked goods, etc.) as provided by one of the newest businesses in the Hilltop Campus Village, the Eastside Bakery!

Come along and bring your friends. Business owners, neighbors, students, volunteers and interested parties are all welcome!

See you there!

 

"One coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime. So who's coaching the coaches? " - REVEREND BILLY GRAHAM

You are invited to the 2014 Fellowship of Christian Athlete Fundraiser

Our new and exciting format is designed to entertain as well as inform our audience on the impact FCA is making and how people, like you, can make a difference in the lives of student-athletes throughout the Quad Cities and Surrounding Areas.

When: Thursday, April 10th

Time: 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Doors Open at 6:00 p.m. Get there early to purchase raffle tickets & view prizes

Where: Stoney Creek Inn • 101 18th Street Moline, IL 61265

Refreshments & Snacks Will Be Served • Business Casual Attire

The night will include a Live & Silent Auction, Testimonies, Interviews, Awards, and Guest Speaker Aaron Kampman.

Aaron is a retired American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Iowa. He was drafted by Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Here is your chance to make a difference today!

Sign up to be an Automatic Monthly Partner from now until April 10th and your name will be placed into a drawing for a TOSHIBA 40" HD LCD TV

Reserve your seats today by contacting Connie at CHelm@fca.org or 309.762.8871

Quad Cities, USA: Have you ever heard 500 bells ring at the same time!? Come to the season opening game of the RiverBandits to experience it! The first 500 fans to purchase a tennis ball for the evening's ball toss onto the field will receive a bell to help cheer on our hometown team.

Major Gary Felton, Quad Cities Coordinator and 30-year officer with The Salvation Army, will be honored with throwing out the first pitch of the season.

Your support of The Salvation Army will help to continue their work all around the Quad Cities. The Family Service Center in downtown Davenport is the Quad Cities' only family shelter serving single fathers and two parent families, and houses 105 homeless people each night -- 65% of the residents are children. An additional 75-130 community members go to the Family Service Center each night for their evening meal, Monday through Saturday. In Rock Island County, Salvation Army services including rent and utility assistance, clothing vouchers and food boxes have served the area's less fortunate.

WHAT: Salvation Army Night at the Ballpark

WHERE: Modern Woodmen Park, inside the stadium at the tennis ball table

DATE: Thursday, April 3, 2014

TIME: Game begins at 7pm

The Moline Public Library welcomes Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar Donna Pierce, as she presents Meals on Wheels: Great Migration Recipes Ride the Rails North on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m.  This program is free and does not require registration. 

Meals on Wheels is presented as part of the six-week series Created Equal and Changing America, which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, exhibition, and presentations.  More information about the series can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal or by contacting the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470.

Before the Great Migration, 90% of all African Americans in the U. S. lived in Southern states. Between 1915 and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1970s, six million black people changed their address from the segregated and "separate but equal" Jim Crow South to the urban north. Several Illinois cities have come to be known as destinations of the Great Migration including Alton, Peoria, and Chicago.  Using cookbooks and oral history, Ms. Pierce will explore migrated recipes such as smothered chicken, chitterlings, black-eyed peas, barbecue, biscuits, grits, greens, banana pudding, caramel cake, and peach cobbler. For many Illinois children and grandchildren of uprooted families, these recipes transplant them back to a South (with ties to Africa) many of them have never known, except through stories and photographs.

Donna Pierce, former Assistant Food Editor and Test Kitchen Director for the Chicago Tribune, is a Chicago-based contributing editor for Upscale magazine and a columnist for the Chicago Defender.  At the Tribune, she shared the first place award for Best newspaper Food Project in 2008 with Bill Daley, having won two first place awards for her columns in previous years. Meals on Wheels, a Road Scholars program, is presented by the Illinois Humanities Council, which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency), as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.  

   

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of itsBridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline. 

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Joins us for Hilltop Campus Connection

What: Hilltop Campus Connection Networking Event

When: Thursday, April 3, 2014 - 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Katie McButts, 1516 Harrison St., Davenport Iowa

Hilltop Campus Village, an Iowa Main Street Community is currently in the midst of successfully reestablishing itself as a vibrant neighborhood offering shopping, dining and entertainment, is hosting its first networking event for the community. Their goal is to not only support and encourage continued commercial growth, but also to connect businesses with local residents, students, area employees and volunteers as a way to promote a more livable "We know a tightly knit business and residential community is extremely important in the face of recent growth and future development planned for the Hilltop Campus Village neighborhood," according to Hilltop Campus Village Director, Scott Tunnicliff. "We believe this event will help to acquaint our local businesses and residents through networking and sharing of information in a casual, fun atmosphere."

The HILLTOP CAMPUS CONNECTION networking event is set for Thursday, April 3, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Katie McButts, 1516 Harrison Street. Recently renovated areas of the Katie McButts building also will be open for tours.

Baked goods and pizza by the slice will be offered for sale by the newly established Eastside Bakery. Cash Bar will be available staffed by Local Celebrity Bartenders!

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Dr. Arthur Pitz will discuss slavery and the struggle for freedom in his presentation The Underground Railroad on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m. at the Moline Public Library (3210 41st Street).  This program is free and does not require registration.

The Underground Railroad is presented as part of the six-week series Created Equal and Changing America, which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, exhibition, and presentations.  More information about the series can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal or by contacting the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470.

The Underground Railroad wasn't a railroad and it wasn't underground, but it had "conductors" and hiding places.  It was hazardous to participate; nonetheless, there were a significant number of abolitionists who risked breaking this law.  This area saw participants involved in aiding fugitive slaves escape to freedom. Dr. Pitz will discuss how much we know of this railroad in our vicinity, how it worked, and its significance.

Historian and Professor Dr. Arthur Pitz has taught extensively throughout the Quad Cities for over 40 years.  He received his PhD in U.S. History from Northern Illinois University.  In 2000, he was the first ever recipient of Black Hawk College's Diversity Award and in 2009, was appointed guest curator by the Putnam Museum to create the exhibit Davenport's Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1974.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.

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Rock Island, IL - Christian Care is holding its fourth annual Trivia Night, hosted by Mr. Trivia himself! The event will take place at The Rock in Coal Valley on Saturday, April 12, 2014. Doors will open at 5:00 PM and the games will begin at 6:00 PM. The cost is $10 per person or $80 per team. The event will include raffle items, 50/50, mulligans and more! Cash Bar will be available, as well as delicious baked goods from the ladies of Grace Evangelical Free Church. Team members are also welcome to bring their own snacks. Tables are filling up fast, so call to make your reservation for individual or team seating; contact Mary Maland at 309/792-4102 or email her at cc.mary10@gmail.com. All proceeds raised from Trivia Night will help Christian Care continue to provide services in the Quad Cities to a growing number of homeless men and abused women and children.

Christian Care is transforming the lives of homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and the mentally ill. Their two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men?provide safe shelter, nutritious meals, clothing, counseling, referrals and guidance to those in need. Christian Care's services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the goal of nourishing the bodies, minds, hearts and souls of the men, women and children who come seeking a new way of life. Help Christian Care help others; donate now. Call Lindsey at 309/786-5734 for more information. If you know someone in need, call the Christian Care Crisis Hotline at any hour of the day or night at 309/788-2273.

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