8th Annual Quad Cities Henry Farnam Dinner

Celebrating Railroads and Railroading

 

********

Friday evening, March 11, 2011

Radisson Quad City Plaza, 111 East 2nd Street, Davenport, Iowa

5:00-6:30 Displays/Cash Bar; 6:30 Dinner; 7:30 Program

********

 

The featured speaker at this year's event will be Henry Posner III, Chairman of the Railroad Development Corporation, an international railway investment and management company, and the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS), a 592-mile (954 km) regional carrier connecting Chicago, the Quad Cities, and Omaha. More information on Mr. Posner can be found here:

http://www.rrdc.com/mgmt_bio_posner.html

 

Posner will give an illustrated presentation on:

 

A Bridge to the Future

Iowa Interstate, the Quad Cities, and the U. S. Rail Industry

Iowa Interstate's predecessor, the Rock Island Lines, has a rich history (including the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi and Abraham Lincoln defending the railroad). Recent railroad history has been even more dramatic with the transition from regulation and bankruptcy to deregulation and sustainability. From the ashes of the Rock Island, the IAIS was formed at the grassroots level by rail users and state transportation people. The company today stands as an industry success with rebuilt infrastructure, new locomotives, and a broad portfolio of customers, many locating on the line precisely because of its status as an independent railway company. The proposed Amtrak passenger route to the Quad Cities is possible because the IAIS survived as a freight carrier.

Posner's presentation will be preceded by a pictorial history recalling the golden age of passenger rail service in the Quad Cities by Curtis C. Roseman and John Wetzel. The event will also include a variety of railroad-related displays.

Each person registered for the 2011 Farnam Dinner will receive a free pass to the Figge Art Museum exhibition Tracks, which features railroad photographs from the George Eastman House Collection. A raffle will be conducted; prizes will include tickets for railroad excursions to be held in association with the July 2011 Train Festival in Rock Island.

*********

2011 Henry Farnam Dinner

Registration Information

Dinner and program $40 per person; $375.00 for a reserved table of ten

 

Register online at: www.riveraction.org

or contact the Farnam Committee:

Curtis or Libby Roseman 309 764 6122 or croseman@usc.edu

 

**********

 

2011 Henry Farnam Dinner Supporters:

 

River Action

Figge Art Museum

Train Festival 2011

Dispatch/Rock Island Argus

City of Rock Island

Chippiannock Cemetery Heritage Foundation

Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau

East Moline, IL/January 28, 2011 - Chad Pregracke's Quad Cities-based environmental group needs volunteers to help in a project to improve the future of area waterways. Living Lands & Waters, an East Moline, Illinois non-profit organization is planning to distribute 100,000 free oak tree saplings in April as part of LL&W's "MillionTrees Project." The goal of the project is to improve the health of rivers in the Midwest, by re-establishing hardwoods that have been depleted by over-harvesting, flooding and disease.

Volunteers, including families with children, are invited to take part in tree wrapping events being held throughout March. "Wrapping 100,000 trees takes a lot of work" said Chad Pregracke, founder and President of Living Lands & Waters. Pregracke adds, "It's a great venue to help the community and educate people on why trees are important."

Trees provide shelter and nut-bearing hardwoods are a viable food source for wildlife and migratory birds. Slow-growing hardwoods like oaks have a harder time re-establishing themselves without help, and are often crowded out by faster growing species, like cottonwoods, willow and silver maples. Re-establishing hardwoods help increase biodiversity, reduce erosion and run-off and improve water and air quality.

Individual registration is not required, but strongly encouraged. Groups of 5 or more must pre-register. Volunteers can stay for an hour or all day. For questions or to register, please contact Ashley Stover at Ashley@livinglandsandwaters.org or at 309.737.5913.

Tree wrapping events will occur at the following places and locations:

QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island:

Volunteers should show up at the North Hall of the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Avenue, Rock Island.

LL&W Headquarters@ (17624 Rte. 84 N, East Moline, IL)

-March 1-5, 8am - 5pm -March 14-17, 8am - 5pm

- March 7-12, 8am - 5pm -March 28 - April 2, 8am - 5pm

Volunteers will be asked to help with the following: bundling trees in newspaper, placing trees in bags, tying, tagging, or organizing them. Participating children MUST be supervised. Volunteers are asked to wear warm and comfortable clothes that can get dirty.

Trees will be distributed in April to individuals, families, agencies, business and organizations throughout the Midwest. The saplings will also be distributed to the general public during the QCCA Lawn and Garden Show, March 25-27^th on a first come, first served basis. The goal of the MillionTrees Project is to grow and plant 1 MILLION trees.

Anyone interested in volunteering or reserving free oak saplings for planting may contact MillionTrees Project Coordinator, Ashley Stover at Ashley@livinglandsandwaters.org or at 309.737.5913. More information on the MillionTrees Project can be found at www.livinglandsandwaters.org/milliontrees.

###

GALENA, Ill. - Coming off of an extremely successful 2010, with the Grand Tasting selling out three weeks prior to the event date, the Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend committee announces that they've added a second Grand Tasting to the wine-focused weekend, allowing even more opportunity and flexibility to attend.

"We are thrilled to offer an additional Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon as well as Friday evening," said event sponsor Tim Althaus, owner, Family Beer & Liquor. "Over the past six years, this event has continued to grow to be one of the largest indoor wine tasting events in the state. Offering two Grand Tastings allows for even more people to enjoy this great opportunity."

At the heart of Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend, the Grand Tasting and Wine Auction offers epicureans of all levels more than 300 varieties of hand-picked wines and spirits from which to sample. The Grand Tasting will be held at two different times this year: Friday, March 25 from 6-8 p.m. (registration begins at 5:30 p.m.) and on Saturday, March 26 from 4-6 p.m. (registration begins at 3:30 p.m.). Both events are hosted at the Galena Convention Center, 900 Galena Square Drive, Galena, Illinois.

Cost is $30 in advance (purchase online: www.wineloversweekend.com) or $35 at the door (subject to availability). Admission also provides you with a keepsake wine glass and an opportunity to win a wine-themed trip to San Francisco. Additional trip chances may be purchased for $15 each. Auction items include vintage wines, artwork, large format wine bottles and related items of interest.

Now in its sixth year running, Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend is a community-wide celebration of good wine, good food and good friends. Wine lovers of all sorts are invited to enjoy three event-filled days of fine wine, culinary delight, celebrity chefs, wine makers, pampering packages and all of the stops Galena can possibly pull out.

Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend is a spirited way to warm the winter and add romance, whether it is for vino, gourmet cuisine or the history and charm all on its own. Wine-inspired dinners, spirit tastings, spa experiences, history tours, cooking demonstrations and shopping welcome and enchant visitors.

Lodging specials and package deals fuel the passion. From dining packages to pampering in luxurious accommodations and the warmest of hospitality, Galena's finest provide a variety of options to cater to every taste and budget.

Visit www.wineloversweekend.com for a detailed listing of extended-weekend activities, links to lodging, and an opportunity to purchase tickets online. Additional area offerings may be found with the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.galena.org.

Date: February 3, 2011
Time: 4 PM
Location: Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA

 

Representatives of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and the artists who created the 14 Midori-themed painted violins will be on hand to talk about the painted violins and the upcoming Midori residency. The full collection of beautifully painted and creatively re-sculpted violins will be on display for photographers, videographers, and public viewing.

From April 13 to 17, world-renowned violinist Midori will participate in a wide range of activities tailored by the QCSO to optimize local involvement of the youth orchestra, including the Bows and Bridges Strings Festival, a Music Advocacy Luncheon with local legislators, a performance before over 6,000 students with the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra at their annual Symphony Day, and a performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto at the QCSO's Masterworks season finale of April 16 & 17.