Davenport, Iowa, November 30, 2012 - Vander Veer Botanical Park Conservatory's annual Holiday Floral Show will open tomorrow, Saturday, December 1. The traditional display will feature thousands of poinsettias and many lighted evergreens in the historic and popular conservatory. Show dates are December 1st through January 12th. The conservatory is open Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 4pm, Saturday: 10am - 8pm, and Sunday: 10am - 4pm, closed on Mondays. Admission is only $1 and is free for kids 16 and under. Other sponsors for the show are Friends of Vander Veer, Green Thumbers, and Menards.

The Holiday Floral Show has been a tradition in the Quad Cities for generations. Many parents that will take their children to the Conservatory this holiday season have photos of themselves as children at earlier shows. The festive display is a traditional way for others to kick off the holiday season.

Since its establishment in 1885, gardens and floral displays have been a tradition at this beautiful 33 acre park, inviting visitors to stroll from the Conservatory to the Stone Fountain. The park grounds are home to an extensive collection of gardens and trees, including many planted during the early 1890's New at the park this year is the Enabling Garden. The Enabling Garden is an accessible garden and features plantings that stimulate all the senses, and includes planting beds and containers raised for comfortable reach. This accessible garden can be used by persons of any age or ability and includes garden elements that appeal to all five senses. The gardens are designed to improve and maintain the physical mental and social health of everyone.

Vander Veer Botanical Park is located at 215 W Central Park in Davenport.

WINTER BIRD FEEDING CLASS PLANNED

On Thursday, December 6th, 2012 there were be a Winter Bird Feeding class held at the Scott County Library System (Eldridge Branch) at 4:30 P.M.

Come join us for a lesson on how to feed the birds this winter. Our feathered friends need a little help with the cold temperatures and wintery conditions. Learn how to help our feathered friends with a make-n-take feeder. Family fun for everyone! Contact librarian Christine Garrow at (563) 285-4794 to register.

Note: This program will be held at the Scott County Library in Eldridge, Iowa (200 North Sixth Avenue, Eldridge, Iowa 52748.

NATURAL WREATH CLASS PLANNED

On Saturday December 8th, 2012, from 10am until Noon, a Natural Wreaths class will be held at the Wapsi River Center ~ Come learn how to use natural items to make beautiful seasonal wreaths. Grapevines, pinecones, evergreen cuttings, seeds, nuts and berries can add a touch of the outdoors to anyone's decorating needs this season. Please call to register, as space is limited to 12 participants ~ (563) 328-3286.

The Wapsi River Environmental Education Center can be found 6 miles south of Wheatland or 1 mile northwest of Dixon, Iowa by taking County Road Y4E. Then turn north at 52nd Avenue and follow the signs for about 1 mile.

Rock Island, IL/ Nov.27 2012 -Augustana College will continue its River Readings program on Thursday, Nov. 29 with fiction writer Peter Geye. Geye will introduce his newest book, The Lighthouse Road, and do a free reading followed by a reception and book signing. The event will be held at7 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall inside Denkmann Hall (3520 7th Ave). Every reading is open to the public and the campus community alike.

"The River Readings series gives students and members of the Quad Cities community a chance to interact with both well-known and up-and-coming writers. It's not every day we get the opportunity to talk to someone whose work will appear in literature textbooks for generations to come." -Dr. Kelly Daniels, River Readings coordinator.

Peter Geye was born and raised in Minneapolis, where he currently lives.  He received his BA from the University of Minnesota and his MFA from the University of New Orleans. At Western Michigan University, he received his PhD, edited Third Coast, and taught Creative Writing.  In the fall of 2010, he published his first book, Safe from the Sea (Unbridled Books), which won the 2010 Indie Lit Award for Fiction, as well as the 2010 Northeast Minnesota Book Award for Fiction.  Unbridled Books released Geye's second book, The Lighthouse Road, in October of this year. A few copies of Geye's books will be available for purchase after the reading.

For years Augustana has brought writers of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction to campus from all corners of the country to present their work in a free reading on campus.  In the past, Augustana,has invited Marvin Bell, Gerald Stern, Jill Essbaum, and Carl Phillips, to share their work.  Later in this academic year, Augustana will host fiction writer Donald Ray Pollock on Thursday, Apr. 18.

 

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"The Laity after Vatican II: Collaboration in Ministry," a lecture by Dr. Zeni Fox on Sunday, December 2, 2012, will begin at 2:00 pm in Terence Donaghoe Hall, Clarke University, Dubuque, Iowa.  Parking will be available in campus lots on Clarke Drive.  The event is free and open to the public.

The lecture is the second in the series "Celebrating Vatican II: Sharing the Vision" sponsored by the Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi Valley as a gift to the Church in the Year of Faith.

The series, designed to review and renew understanding and appreciation of the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church which opened 50 years ago, examines four key themes of the Council - its history and structure, the role of the laity and lay ministry, liturgical reform, and the role of the church in the world.

Dr. Fox, Professor of Pastoral Theology at Seton Hall University, New Jersey, describes the call to an awareness of lay ministry as one of the great fruits of Vatican II. Her works include Called and Chosen: Toward a Spirituality for Lay Leaders, and New Ecclesial Ministry: Lay Professionals Serving the Church.

Widely regarded as an expert on lay ministry, Dr. Fox describes laypeople as "the disciples of Jesus who share responsibility for the mission of the church."  Indeed, she has noted, without the laity, who comprise more than 99 percent of the church, the church's mission could not be realized.

"It grew up like dandelions in the spring, just here, there, and everywhere," says Fox of professional lay ministry. "This phenomenon has a grassroots dynamic."

"Even before the Second Vatican Council," Fox says is describing the role of the laity, "Pope John XIII said that we need to pay attention to the signs of the times and ask ourselves, 'Where is it that God is moving among us at this time?'?"

There is no registration or admission charge for the lecture series which explores the enduring significance of Vatican II, the most important event in Roman Catholicism in four centuries, and probes its implications for the present and future.  Hailed for its spirit of open-mindedness and change, Vatican II was referred to as a "bringing up to date" or aggiornamento of the Church in the modern world by Pope John XXIII in 1959. The term became a key word in describing the Council, which has been called "one of the most important religious events of the 20^th century."

Follow-up sessions to each of the lectures will be offered in the cities where the sponsoring congregations minister.

Future programs in the series will include :

* Dr. Massimo Faggioli speaking on "Liturgical Reform: the Crucial Impact and Legacy of Vatican II" at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Hiawatha, Ia., on February 24, 2013.

Dr. Faggioli studied and taught in Europe before becoming Assistant Professor of Theology at St. Thomas University, St. Paul Minnesota.  Specializing in the history of Christianity, his most  recent books are "Vatican II: The Battle for Meaning," and "True Reform:  Liturgy and Ecclesiology in the Sacrosanctum Concilium." He will reflect on how the liturgical constitution is central to the achievements of Vatican II, to the core theology of the Council and to its impact on Catholicism throughout the world.

* Dr. Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA addressing "The Church in the Modern World: Vatican II's Challenge for Our Time," on April 21, 2013, at Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Church, Clinton.

Dr. Weisenbeck, a Canon lawyer and past president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, will describe Vatican II's invitation to read the signs of the times and  to respond in dedicated service.  Panelists, including Most Rev. Daniel Turley, OSA, Bishop of the Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru, will reflect on ways the Church is called to solidarity with the people of God throughout the world.

"Celebrating Vatican II: Sharing the Vision" is sponsored by the Carmelite Nuns, Eldridge, Ia.; Congregation of the Humility of Mary, Davenport, Ia.; Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wis.; Sinsinawa Dominicans, Sinsinawa, Wis.; Sisters of Mercy, West-Midwest Region, Omaha, Neb.;  Benedictine Sisters, Rock Island, Ill.; Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Ia.; and Sisters of Charity BVM, Sisters of the Presentation, Sisters of St, Francis, Sisters of the Visitation, and Trappistine Nuns, all of Dubuque, Ia.  The October program is hosted by St. Ambrose University. The December program is co-sponsored by Clarke University.

For details see www.facebook.com/catholicsisters