Amana- Frankly Scarlett, You're Dead, a comic murder mystery dinner theatre opens at the Cedar Rapids Clarion Hotel and Convention Center on February 14, 2014 and runs through March 15 on Friday and Saturday nights; seating begins at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m.

I do declare...the Old Creamery heads to the deep South in its new comic murder mystery Frankly Scarlett, You're Dead by James Daab. Suspicion grips the Sassafras Plantation as Colonel Simpson tries to marry off his lovely daughters and catch a Yankee spy! Plenty of laughs and a delicious meal await you at an exciting new location.

The cast includes Katie Colleta of Rockton, Illinois, David Q. Combs of Robins, Iowa, Adam Lewis of Mammoth, Illinois, Jeff Haffner of Cleveland, Ohio, Jackie McCall of Marengo, Iowa, and Sean McCall of Marengo, Iowa. David Q. Combs has been on Broadway in Equus with Richard Burton and Off-Bway as the Count in Passion of Dracula. He also has been in 12 soap operas and 40 plus TV shows like Star Trek- Next Generation and Criminal Minds.

Your $47 ticket to the show includes soup, salad, entree, dessert, tax, and gratuity. When you purchase your tickets online or by phone, choose your entree: Pan Fried Chicken, Braised Pork Chop or a Gluten Free Option. Tickets should be purchased no later than 24 hours prior to the performance.

Call the box office for tickets and information 319-622-6262 or visit us online at www.oldcreamery.com.

"The President has made it clear that he'll circumvent Congress if it doesn't act on the President's priorities.  His actions suggest a certain amount of disrespect for the legislative branch and the checks and balances set forth in the Constitution," Grassley said.  "It would be a constructive step, and consistent with the President's commitment for unprecedented levels of transparency, for the Justice Department to release its opinions and analyses on the constitutionality of the President's executive actions."

In a letter to Holder Grassley wrote, "I am gravely concerned that the system of checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution is threatened by the President's determination to take unilateral action if he cannot persuade Congress and the American people of the merits of his ideas."

The President's use of executive orders is subject to review by the Department of Justice. The Office of Legal Counsel at the department reviews all executive orders proposed to be issued by the President to determine whether they are constitutional and otherwise lawful.

Grassley added, "This specific measure of transparency will allow both Congress and the American people to know whether these orders are being subjected to a rigorous constitutional review at the Department of Justice, as well as to better understand - and if necessary to challenge - the legal basis upon which they are purportedly issued."

A copy of the text of the letter  is below.  A signed copy can be found here.

January 31, 2014

Via Electronic Transmission

The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20530

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I write today to follow up on my question concerning the President's use of Executive Orders that I posed to you during Wednesday's Department of Justice oversight hearing.

In his State of the Union address earlier this week, the President made plain his intention to implement his agenda through aggressive use of these orders - whether or not the Congress and the American people agree.  I am gravely concerned that the system of checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution is threatened by the President's determination to take unilateral action if he cannot persuade Congress and the American people of the merits of his ideas.  In short, while the President recently remarked that he has a pen and a phone, we have a Constitution that places limits on his use of them to issue Executive Orders.

My concern about the President's proposed use of these orders is heightened by the Administration's record of failing to discharge its constitutional duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed," either by declining to enforce laws with which it does not agree or delaying or waiving portions of other laws to suit its convenience.

However, the President's use of these orders is subject to review by the Department of Justice.  Since the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Attorney General has been authorized to render opinions on questions of law when requested by the President and the heads of Executive Branch departments.  Today, as you know, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel ("OLC") provides legal advice to the Executive Branch on constitutional questions.  More specifically, OLC reviews all Executive Orders proposed to be issued by the President to determine whether they are constitutional and otherwise lawful.  OLC's role in this process provides a valuable opportunity to increase transparency concerning the President's use of these orders.

Therefore, I reiterate my request that you direct OLC to publicly disclose its opinions, analyses and conclusions concerning the lawfulness of all Executive Orders proposed to be issued by the President.  Moreover, I request that these disclosures be made contemporaneously with the issuing of any such order OLC deems to be lawful.

On numerous occasions, the President has claimed that he is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness and transparency in government, but he has failed to do so.  This specific measure of transparency will allow both Congress and the American people to know whether these orders are being subjected to a rigorous constitutional review at the Department of Justice, as well as to better understand - and if necessary to challenge - the legal basis upon which they are purportedly issued.

Given the urgency of this matter, I respectfully request a response by February 14th.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

MERMAID THEATRE OF NOVA SCOTIA'S THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR AND OTHER ERIC CARLE FAVOURITES IN CORALVILLE FEBRUARY 20 & 21

Public Performance at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 20

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia will visit the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, February 20 and Friday, February 21 with three performances of their signature production, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites. The engagement includes two sold-out school performances at 10:30am on February 20 and 21, and a public performance at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 20.  This one-hour production is recommended for ages three through second grade, and anyone who loves Eric Carle stories.  The performance brings three of Carle's beloved stories to life through the magic of black light and fanciful puppets.  The production was adapted, designed, and directed by Jim Morrow, with music by Steven Naylor and narration by Gordon Pinsent.

Tickets for the public performance are $14 for adults and $10 for children and are available online at coralvillearts.org, by phone at 319.248.9370, and in person at the CCPA box office and Coralville Recreation Center.

About The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites:
On tour continuously since 1999, Mermaid's compilations of five Eric Carle stories have generated remarkable statistics and earned considerable praise from audiences on several continents. Featuring innovative black-light puppetry and evocative original music, the fifty-minute production includes three beloved stories: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little Cloud and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar follows the wonderful adventures of a very tiny and very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through an amazing variety of foods on his path to becoming a beautiful butterfly.

High up in the sky, Little Cloud playfully transforms himself into various creatures, including a sheep, and an airplane, a shark and more.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon is bored with his life, sitting about predictably changing color all day. Following an adventurous trip to the zoo, he attempts to emulate the beautiful animals he sees before coming to the conclusion that there is value in his own unique self.

To date over 3000 performances have been presented to nearly 2 million spectators throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, Holland, Vietnam, Ireland, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. To date, presentations have been offered in Dutch, English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and French.

About Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia ranks among North America's most respected theatres for the young, and plays an important ambassadorial role for Nova Scotia and for Canada. The company regularly crosses the continent, and has represented Canada in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan. Mermaid Theatre has earned Export Excellence awards from both the Governments of Canada and of Nova Scotia. Based in the town of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Mermaid has performed for more than five million spectators on four continents. The company was founded in 1972.

Eric Carle, Author
Eric Carle, internationally acclaimed author and designer, has written and illustrated more than seventy books for young children. Born in Syracuse, NY, he spent his youth in Germany where he studied fine art in Stuttgart prior to returning to the US in 1952 to work as a graphic designer for The New York Times and later as art director of an international advertising agency. His delightful books, which combine stunning collage artwork with an imaginative approach to learning, have sold more than 110 million copies worldwide.  Eric and his wife Barbara divide their time between the Florida Keys and the hills of North Carolina.  In 2002, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art opened to the public in Amherst, MA.  For more information, visit eric-carle.com and carlemuseum.org.

Jim Morrow, Director/Production Designer
Jim creates puppets for stage, television and film. He's directed numerous shows for the Theatre, including Very Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites, Guess How Much I Love You, I Love My Little Storybook, Swimmy, Frederick, Inch by Inch, Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny as well as designed many others. A gifted performer, Jim has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. He serves as director of puppetry for Symphony Nova Scotia's production of The Nutcracker, and frequently conducts master classes in puppetry in North America and abroad. Jim is Mermaid Theatre's Artistic Director.

Steven Naylor, Composer
Steven has created the music for more than a dozen Mermaid shows, including Very Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites, Guess How Much I Love You , I Love My Little Storybook, Swimmy, Frederick, Inch by Inch, Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. His many other professional activities include original film and television scores; contemporary music and 'musique actuelle' performance; university teaching and curriculum development; and a long-term international involvement with electroacoustic concert music. Steven is Mermaid Theatre's Artistic Consultant for Music and Sound Design.

Gordon Pinsent, Narrator
Born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Gordon is an actor, director, writer and singer of great versatility, and one of Canada's most beloved artists. His work for more than three decades in theatre, film, radio and television has earned him international recognition, as well as honorary doctorates from three universities. In 1999 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest award of merit.

Owned and operated by the City of Coralville, the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to enriching the community and contributing to the vitality of Coralville by offering an accessible, affordable venue for a variety of performances, presentations, and public and private events.  The 472 seat theater opened August 26, 2011 and has hosted performances from City Circle Acting Company, Orchestra Iowa, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Dan Knight, Lola Astanova, Lorie Line, Judy Carmichael, Jim McDonough, Nolte Academy of Dance, and many others.  Coralville schools are also able to use the Center free of charge up to three times per year; 16 school events took place at the Center in the 2012-2013 school year. The Center was named 2012 Member of the Year by the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Further Reviews

The supreme court recently issued an order either granting or denying application for further review in the cases listed below

FURTHER REVIEW VOTING RESULTS

January 13, 2014

DENIED:

GRANTED: