Davenport, IA - For 28 years, Volunteers for Symphony has been hosting the area's largest sale of gently used items to support the education programs of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. This year's sale will be held at 902 West Kimberly Road in Davenport, between Godfather's Pizza and Shoe Carnival in the Village Shopping Center. 

The event will kick off on Thursday, June 16, with a Preview Party from 6 PM to 9 PM. Admission to the party is $10 at the door and gives you the first opportunity to buy and choose from an enormous selection of housewares, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, books, records, antiques, and jewelry, to name just a few. People traditionally begin lining up in the afternoon, so be sure to arrive early to get your spot! Refreshments and live music will be provided while you shop. 

Also available at the Preview Party will be a 1984 Buick Electra Park Avenue with a V8 engine and only 23,000 miles. Other amenities include power seats, power windows, air conditioning, AM/FM cassette radio. The car shows no rust and will be sold "as is" to the best offer at 8 PM on Thursday night. 

The sale then continues on Friday, June 11, 7 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday, June 12, 7 AM to 4 PM. Both days are FREE ADMISSION. Saturday is half price day and features a $5 bag sale beginning at noon. To buy Preview Party tickets, call 563.322.QCSO (7276) or visit www.qcsymphony.com. 

WEST BRANCH, IOWA– Artist-in-Residence Gaynell Gavin will read from her writings and present a writing workshop at the visitor center of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site on Saturday, June 18 at 9:30 a.m. The workshop will last about two hours. Dr. Gavin will discuss how writers find an attachment to place and use it to inspire writing. If you are interested in attending, please call (319) 643-2541 before June 18. Writing paper and pens are all you will need to bring.

Gaynell Gavin's prose and poetry has been published in many literary journals and anthologies, including Fourth Genre, North Dakota Quarterly, The Best of the Bellevue Literary Review (Bellevue Literary Press), Nebraska Presence (Backwaters Press), and Best New Poets 2006 (Samovar Press). Her poetry chapbook, Intersections, was published by Main Street Rag Publishing. Her essay, "What We Have," published in Prairie Schooner, was included among "Notable Essays " in The Best American Essays 2009. This essay, like much of her work, is grounded in the Midwest. She is originally from Illinois and is a faculty member at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. 

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space. For more information go to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541. 

The Independent Scholars are collecting derogatory words to be compiled in a list held in the library at The Institute as well as circulated on the internet. These are the words being used, at this time, in our social history, and words which are to be generally avoided, since they can be taken as humiliating, hostile and derogatory or 'fighting'  words to the listener.

These words are also very revealing, reflecting the underlying prejudices and bias that weave in all societies and cultures.

Please bring in your personal lists of  words you consider derogatory.

You can also access this list on our QC Institute Independent Scholars on LinkedIn.

We will continue to expand it as our Independent Scholars bring in their contributions.

First session in compiling the list is on

Thursday. June 9^th. 2011

7.00 p.m.

2nd floor of  The Moline Club

Free and Open to the Public,

Light snacks and wine and refreshments are served. 

The Independent Scholars' Evenings are sponsored by

The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd. a state and federal level 501(c)3 since 1996 according to US laws.

309-762-9202 www.qcinstitute.org