Teen Advisory Group

Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to join the Teen Advisory Group at the Moline Public Library. Help plan programs, give input about what books and materials to add to the collection, make friends, and have fun. We meet the first Thursday of the month, and the next meeting is Thursday, November 3 at 3:30 in the Platinum Room. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Teen Writers Group

Teen and Young Adult writers are invited to the Moline Public Library on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a few short items to share with the group, get feedback, and learn some new tricks. The next meeting will be on Monday, November 14 at 7:00. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Anime Club

Teen and Young Adult fans of anime, manga, and all things Japanese are invited to the Moline Public Library the third Tuesday of the month at 3:30 for Anime Club. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 15 at 3:30. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Teen Book Club

The Moline Public Library's Teen Book Club will discuss The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis on Thursday, November 17 at 7:00. Read the book. See the movie. Discuss with friends. This program is free and open to students in grades 6-12. If you are interested in attending please contact Jan LaRoche at 309-524-2478 or jlaroche@molinelibrary.org. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Teen Writers Group

Teen and Young Adult writers are invited to the Moline Public Library on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a few short items to share with the group, get feedback, and learn some new tricks. The next meeting will be on Monday, November 28 at 7:00. This program is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

The Spirit of Assisi:  the 25^th anniversary celebration on Oct. 27 religious gathering

On October 27, 1986, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Patriarchs of many Eastern Churches, leaders of native religions - 70 religious leaders in all - made history when they gathered in Assisi, Italy to talk and pray together for peace in the "Spirit of Assisi."

This year, on October 27, religious leaders will again gather in Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare, patrons of peace and reconciliation, to continue their dialogue.

The Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, will also commemorate the "Spirit of Assisi" with a public prayer service at their home, The Canticle, 841-13^th Ave. No., on Thursday, Oct. 27, beginning at 6:30 pm.

"In the footprints of Francis and Clare, we are all called to walk the path of peace as pilgrims" said Pope Benedict in inviting other religious leaders to join in the commemoration, "to pray and fast for justice in our world, and to dialogue with one another in an effort to discover creative ways to build peace in our own day."

"Just as persons of many faiths will gather in Assisi as 'pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace,' we invite all our neighbors to join us in prayer on Thursday evening," said Clinton Franciscan Sister Joan Theiss who is coordinating the service.

"The Spirit of Assisi carried an important message," she said.  It affirmed that the desire for peace is shared by all people of good will; but taking into account the situation of the world today and the relationship between peoples, it recognized that real peace can only be achieved through an intervention by God.  That will be the hope of our prayer."

John Paul II, who initiated the original gathering, said that he chose the city of Assisi as location for this day of prayer due to the special significance of the saint venerated here, St. Francis, who is known by many all over the planet to be a symbol of peace, reconciliation and community.  So the Pope decided to promote this initiative "in the name of St. Francis, the man," he said, "who breaks down barriers, who knows how to open doors and who is brother to all."

"Today," noted Sister Joan, "religions are not only asked to dialogue among ourselves, but to reach out to all people whether they are believers or not.  Even more, we are now being challenged to reach out beyond humanity, because violence is being visited on God's creation as well.  There is an ever-growing consciousness in all religious traditions that respect and peaceful relations must be fostered between people and between people and all creatures."

Sister Joan explained:  "Our hope is that if we come together in the Spirit of Assisi and pray as believers in the way our respective religious traditions have taught us, we will be strengthened to commit ourselves to concrete actions that will allow us to work together to confront the threats to peace and to the environment that we face in our world today."

For more information call Sisters of St. Francis, 563-242-7611 or visit www.clintonfranciscans.com.

For Ruby Slipper owner Christine Reyhons, opening the boutique combines two of her passions: women's footwear with downtown Davenport's vintage architecture. Her new venture brings together upscale footwear, clothing and accessories that are unique to the region.

"The concept is luxury casual," says Reyhons of her boutique located at 312 Main Street. "It's casual wear for weekends and evenings, not something you'd wear to a business."

Reyhons believes the store fits a niche in the region that isn't being addressed. "I felt Quad-Cities women's needs weren't being met, and there aren't a lot of choices," she said. "Enough of traveling to Chicago to shop...I wanted to keep it downtown."

Whenever possible, Reyhons selects American-made products for The Ruby Slipper. "I particularly tried to go with Midwestern artists with our jewelry." Some of the brands of footwear the store will carry include Frye, Aquatalia and Miz Mooz. Designer denim clothing lines includes DL 1961 and Joe's. Most of the shop's items range in price from $100 to $500.

Reyhons intimately understands the women's footwear business from years working as a shoe buyer for Von Maur department stores and in sales for the Frye Company, a footwear manufacturer. She travelled coast to coast, selling footwear to some of the country's largest and most exclusive department stores.

The boutique's four-person staff plans to offer personalized shoe parties and a customer rewards program.

"I have a passion for downtown Davenport and its architecture," says Reyhons. She notes the resurgent interest in the downtown's renovated loft condominiums, apartments and Hotel Blackhawk is generating a new energy downtown. She predicts that other businesses will follow suit as they see the possibilities of downtown.

The Ruby Slipper opens Thursday, October 20, with a grand opening event on Saturday, October 22 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Store hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

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