Edited by Curtis C. Roseman and Elizabeth M. Roseman 252 pages 2004, University of Iowa Press The new book Grand Excursions on the Upper Mississippi River should not be considered a lightweight souvenir for people wanting to remember the upcoming Grand Excursion celebration.

In its effort to capitalize on available state money, the City of Davenport is working quickly to finalize its first phase of the joint Rock Island/Davenport River Vision implementation. But chasing that money - the city plans to ask for $15 million from Iowa's Vision Iowa and Community Attractions & Tourism (CAT) programs - means the city council probably won't be giving itself or the public much time to study the plan's details, including its financing or a riverfront casino hotel that became part of the discussion only at the tail end of the process.

If Susan Esser had known what she was getting into, she might never have started the Quad Cities' speed-dating service. That first session, in April 2001, didn't go as smoothly as planned, as she was unsure how to facilitate the orderly flow of singles from one person to the next.

For all the deliberate planning happening in Davenport in recent years - River Renaissance improvements, Prairie Heights, the River Vision project, and the city's comprehensive plan, to cite a few examples - one key item is still being addressed haphazardly: the city's form of government.