Editor's note: Prior to press time, the Davenport City Council tabled the appointment of John Nahra and canceled meetings scheduled for April 11 and 12.

Last week, eight Davenport aldermen and the mayor signed what several of them thought was a petition seeking the reorganization of the city legal department that had been drafted nearly a year ago but vetoed twice by the mayor. Following the petition - less than a week later - the demotion of sitting corporation counsel Mary Thee (without a formal performance review), a revision of the ordinance governing the council's supervisory purview of the legal department, and the hiring of retired Judge John Nahra to replace Thee were all on the table for a special council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 10, at 5 p.m. The administrator's office scheduled three special meetings - for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - in case Tuesday's meeting did not result in a waiving of the "three readings" requirement for an ordinance change.

Each year, our regional artists have the opportunity to showcase their work in the premier juried art exhibit in the Quad Cities area: the annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition in the Centennial Hall gallery at Augustana College. Area artists know that this is an important show not only for the regional recognition and the respect of fellow artists, but also for their résumés and possible sales.

Because many of us were once teenagers, we rely on those past experiences to help us understand and cope with the behavior of today's teens. That works only to a point. While many of the problems that plagued our post-pubescent years are similar to those of our children, the scope, depth, and intensity varies significantly with the times.

The times greatly contribute to the evolution of common issues that often overwhelm, confuse, and misdirect young people - more today than ever before.

On August 31, four outdoor locations in downtown Davenport will collectively house the traveling exhibit Coexistence, a series of 45 nine-by-15-foot panels - created by 43 international artists - exploring themes of compassion and empathy on a global level. Portions of the exhibit will be displayed in front of the Figge Art Museum, RiverCenter, and sky bridge, with the remainder displayed in LeClaire Park, and the exhibit is expected to attract 25,000 visitors - including more than 10,000 students - between August 31 and its close on September 27, 2007. Initiated by Jerusalem's Museum on the Seam in 2001 and sponsored by the Riverboat Development Authority, the artworks will be shown in conjunction with the Quad Cities' community-wide project "Coexistence: The Art of Living Together," and more information on the exhibit is available at (http://www.coexistence.art.museum). - Mike Schulz