MOUNT CARROLL, IL -- Timber Lake Playhouse and Great River Outreach are teaming up during the playhouse's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat June 5-15 to host drive for coats, hats, gloves and galoshes to benefit kids and parents in region who have a little less. The partnership is the first in a summer long effort to celebrate volunteer and non-profit organizations in the region whose missions "live the story" of each theatre production at the playhouse.

Great River Outreach provides a wide range of services to individuals and families in need including emergency housing, clothing, warm meals, emergency food, counseling services and career opportunities. They have served over 46,000 free meals in Savanna and Mount Carroll. Through a partnership with Head Start, Great River Outreach will distribute all coats and accessories donated at TLP to kids and parents in need around the region. Remaining coats will be donated to Neat Repeats, a Savanna resale shop that funds outreach services, and provides free clothing and furniture to families in crisis.

TLP's 53rd Season opens with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (June 5-15). Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical for the whole family has become a massive international hit everywhere it plays. It tells the biblical story of Joseph's coat of many colors with song and dance that's fun for all ages. Executive Director James Beaudry directs and choreographs the production.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat takes a simple story and tells it in a huge, spectacular way. Really great storytelling has the power to make us think, feel, and live better. Great River Outreach is an organization that lives a great story. We are proud to help support their mission, and at the same time, give our audiences an opportunity to make our corner of the world a little brighter," said Beaudry.

"The idea came to us last year, after our Do Something Spectacular campaign--which provided creative opportunities for our audiences--was such a success. We decided to raise the bar and turn those activities into a greater good. We have additional projects coming up throughout the summer with other organizations, including Happy Tails from Rock Falls and the Mount Carroll Rotary."

Great River Outreach is specifically seeking gently worn coats, hats, gloves and galoshes in sizes 2T through adult small. Anyone donating at a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will receive free popcorn at the show. Timber Lake Playhouse popcorn is courtesy of Tee Lee Popcorn in Shannon, Illinois. Donations may also be made during regular box office hours.

For tickets to Joseph ..., call the box office at 815-244-2035 or visit them at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in Mount Carroll. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.

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Sponsored by US Bank

What: Ballet Under the Stars

Who: Ballet Quad Cities

Where: Lincoln Park Classic Theatre

11th Ave & 38th St Rock Island, IL

When: June 6th, 7th, & 8th at 8:00pm

Ticket Prices: No Admission Charged!

Three evenings of no admission charged ballet performances - a perfect time to introduce your family to our family of dancers at Ballet Quad Cities! Bring a picnic, chairs, and a blanket and spend an evening under the stars at Rock Island's lovely Lincoln Park.

The program will bring back favorite selections from this past season including a company favorite "Making Waves" and the Pas de Deux from Carmen. Also, as a special treat, the students from Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance will perform "Peter and the Wolf". It's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

There will also be light refreshments available to purchase. All the proceeds will support our award winning Bullying Prevention Program.

For more information, please call 309-786-3779 or visit www.balletquadcities.com

Ten Winners Announced

BETTENDORF - A total of $10,000 was given to area students to help pay for their college costs as part of the Ascentra Credit Union Scholarship Competition.  There were five $1,000 scholarships available for high school students planning to enter college.  The other five $1,000 scholarships were for members age 19 or over, considered non-traditional or continuing education students. This year Ascentra expanded the number of scholarship recipients from two to ten to better serve our growing membership.

The high school scholarship winners include :

·        Jacob Logan, Bettendorf, Iowa

·        Madison Temperly, Eldridge, Iowa

·        Caitlin Thom, Bettendorf, Iowa

·        Lauren Pittman, Clinton, Iowa

·        Taylor Trumbo, Davenport, Iowa

The non-traditional or continuing education winners include :

·        Micaela Terronez, East Moline, Illinois

·        Hailey Oepping, Muscatine, Iowa

·        Maddison Theisen, LeClaire, Iowa

·        Jessica Tucker, Cleveland, Illinois

·        Darcey Jansen, Eldridge, Iowa

Photos and more information about the winners can be found at www.ascentra.org.  All entries are judged on their essay, resume, awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer services and work experience.  The competition is announced every October with the deadline in March of the following year. Official rules may be picked up at any of our branches or found online at www.ascentra.org/scholarships.

Awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships is another way Ascentra Credit Union recognizes that financial planning and education is essential to lifetime success for our members and community.

About us:

.  Follow Ascentra on Facebook and on Twitter @ascentra.

What: Public Hearing on Age Discrimination in the Workplace

Iowans affected by age discrimination in the workplace and those who are concerned about age discrimination on the job are invited to join AARP for a public hearing with state and national AARP leaders, members of the media and the public to illustrate how important this issue is for the financial security of older workers in Iowa. The hearing is timed for Iowans to share their stories of age discrimination in the workplace as Congress considers legislation sponsored by Iowa Senators Tom Harkin (D) and Chuck Grassley (R), the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, (S. 1391, H.R. 2852).

When: Thursday, May 29, 2014

10:00 -10:40 a.m. - official remarks and stories of Iowans

10:40-11:00 a.m. - audience questions/comments

11:00 a.m. or immediately following end of comments - media availability with AARP national and state spokespersons

Where: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center - 7725 Kirkwood Blvd., SW, Cedar Rapids

Who:

Eric Schneidewind, AARP Board President-Elect (incoming), Grand Rapids, MI

Cheryl Matheis, Senior Principal Counsel, AARP External Affairs

Kent Sovern, AARP Iowa State Director

Jack Gross and stories from other Iowa victims of age discrimination

Why: According to a recent AARP national survey, Americans believe the problem of age discrimination in the workplace is widespread and growing worse.  About two-thirds (64 percent) of survey respondents think that people over age 50 face age discrimination in the workplace. Further, nearly one-third say they have faced discrimination themselves in the last four years or know someone who has.

Since the landmark Gross v. FBL Financial Services Supreme Court case of 2009 (involving Iowan Jack Gross) makes it more difficult for older workers to prove age discrimination, 82 percent of respondents believe that ruling makes it easier for employers to discriminate. More than three-fourths (78 percent) of respondents support the proposed Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act and want their members of Congress to support it.