The Iowa Chamber Alliance (ICA), a nonpartisan coalition that represents 16 chambers of commerce and economic-development organizations throughout the state, has joined a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort with the United States Chamber of Commerce. The partners have unveiled (http://www.VoteForIowa.com), a one-stop shop for nonpartisan information about the upcoming election. The Iowa Chamber Alliance's mission is to put forth and enact an agenda to improve the state's economy through support for programs that stimulate economic-growth opportunities for the entire state and its residents. ICA members include chambers and economic-development organizations in Ames, Bettendorf, Burlington/West Burlington, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine, Sioux City, and Waterloo.
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is working to restore savanna in the Lower Cedar River Valley area. The Lower Cedar River Valley area ecosystem has been scientifically ranked as a G1, meaning there are fewer than five other lowland savanna areas similar to it in the world. The area is currently overgrown with invasive trees and exotic plants, which inhibit the growth of native species. Originally, this area looked like open parklands with scattered trees and vast expanses of prairie grasses underneath. The AmeriCorps NCCC team, consisting of members from as far as Hawaii and Oregon, arrived in Muscatine on September13 to work on the properties of the Conservancy, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Louisa County Conservation Board. The team will cut invasive trees, remove exotic species, and sow native plants to help restore the area to its natural state. On October 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., the Conservancy will host an organized volunteer day. The public is invited to the Swamp White Oak Preserve, outside of Muscatine, to help gather native seeds and remove invasive species. For more information, call (563) 263-1847.
After
nearly a month of being closed for interior renovations, the Rock
Island Main Library, at 401 19th Street, reopened for business on
Monday, October 2. The
first-floor and ground-floor interior feature a new color scheme of
burgundy, blue, green, soft cream, and tan, as well as new carpeting,
new public-service desks for the reference, circulation, and
children's departments, and a new research lab for patrons who need
more time for online research, job-hunting, or other time-intensive
computer tasks. The new lab is available by appointment only. Some
furniture has yet to arrive, but all should be in place by the time
the library celebrates its new look with a community open house on
Wednesday, October 25. The children's room portion of the project
was funded through a $50,000 donation from the Rock Island Public
Library Foundation, with the remaining $150,000 coming from private
and corporate donations to the Vision 2000 building-improvement
campaign. Operating hours at the Rock Island Main Library are 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday.
As Iowans prepare to face home-heating bills this winter, TEAM8, sponsored by the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce, is recruiting volunteers to help weatherize homes for low-income families, the elderly, and disabled individuals. The effort is part of the Iowa Weatherization Challenge, a statewide initiative spearheaded by Governor Tom Vilsack. The chamber is calling upon organizations to assist in locating volunteers to assist with simple weatherization - caulking windows and weather-stripping doors. Organizations interested in joining this TEAM8 effort should call the chamber at (563) 355-4753. Weatherization of homes will take place on October 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine will give Augustana College $1.7 million for the conversion of Carlsson Hall from a residential facility to an academic building. The project will create new classroom and office space for five of the college's largest academic departments and will establish administrative offices to support the college's Senior Inquiry program. The renovation will begin in June 2007 and will be complete in time for the 2008-9 academic year.
In recognition of his education of youth on the dangers of tobacco and promoting health in the Quad Cities, the Quad City Health Initiative and its affiliate project Tobacco Free QC recognized Merle Woods at the recent quarterly meeting of the Quad City Health Initiative board. Woods was presented an engraved award as a token of appreciation for his time as a volunteer with Tobacco Free QC and the American Cancer Society. Woods has volunteered since 1997 and on average shared his personal story of tobacco use with about 2,500 adolescents a year through school-based education programs. Woods began smoking as a teenager and due to many years of tobacco use lost his vocal chords to cancer. He now uses an artificial device to enable speech. Mr. Woods and his wife, Linda (a former Quad City Health Initiative board member), are relocating from the Quad Cities to Peoria. The Tobacco Free QC Coalition was founded in 1998 in an effort to unite local resources to reduce the impact of tobacco in the Quad Cities community. The bi-state coalition has grown over the years to include numerous health-care organizations and interested community agencies. The Tobacco Free QC Coalition works to prevent tobacco use, promote cessation, reduce the availability of tobacco, influence tobacco-related legislation, reduce secondhand-smoke exposure, and disseminate information.
