10 Oct 2011

National Memorial Service to Honor Fallen Iowa Firefighter

By Jenni A. McClelland
EMMITSBURG, MD. - The 30th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service will honor an Iowa firefighter who died in the line of duty in 2010.  He is among the 72 firefighters who died in 2010 and 17 firefighters who died in previous years who will be remembered at the official national service held at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. 

Firefighter Steven S. Crannell, age 47, of the Guthrie Center Fire Department died after suffering a heart attack within 24 hours of participating in a department training exercise on April 22, 2010.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Department of Homeland Security will sponsor the official national tribute on October 16, 2011.

As first responders to all natural and manmade emergencies, fire service personnel are in constant danger. During 2010, 72 firefighters died in the line of duty, making firefighting one of the nation's most dangerous occupations.

More than 6,000 people, including Members of Congress, Administration officials and other dignitaries, members of the fire service, and families and friends of the fallen firefighters will attend the event.  Families will receive flags flown over the U. S. Capitol and the National Memorial. Members of the fire service, honor guard units and pipe and drum units from across the U.S. will participate in this national tribute.

Many fire departments across the country will also conduct simultaneous services, lower flags to half-staff, sound sirens, and observe a moment of silent tribute.  For the first time in Memorial Weekend history, departments and local places of worship are invited to participate in Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, a national moment of remembrance, to honor those who died in the line of duty.  For more information on Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters visit: www.BellsAcrossAmerica.com.

For a complete list of fallen firefighters being honored and a widget to display their information on your website, along with Memorial Weekend related videos, photos, media and broadcast information visit Weekend.FireHero.org.         

About the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

The United States Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to remember America's fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the nonprofit Foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers. For more information on the Foundation and its programs contact us at 301-447-1365 or visit www.FireHero.org.
10 Oct 2011

Explore Life in the Slow Lane with Turtle Travels

By Elly Gerdts

Bettendorf ? Most people know the turtle basics: hard shell, four legs, head, tail. But visitors to the exhibit Turtle Travels will find out there's a lot more to turtles than they thought. Appearing at the Family Museum October 15, 2011 - May 20, 2012, Turtle Travels is a fun-filled interactive exhibit that gives visitors a turtle-eye view of life in the slow lane.

Guests of all ages will walk onto a life-sized board game and explore interactive games, images, participatory text, artifacts, and a video about what it's like to be a turtle moving through local habitats. The lively setting will have visitors advancing from one station to the next as they crawl under a live turtle enclosure, try on a turtle shell, help turtles to safety, and follow a sea turtle as it swims.

They'll discover fascinating facts about what it's like to be a turtle?  how turtle bodies adapt themselves to many different habitats, why turtles need shells, the kinds of hazards they encounter in the wild, why turtles have been important to many different cultures, and more. This special exhibit is sure to intrigue visitors of all ages and provide an unusual perspective on some really cool reptiles. Trek along this turtle terrain, and you'll find out that slow and steady not only wins the race but takes turtles on some amazing journeys too!

The exhibit includes a variety of fun components for families, including:

  • A Swiss Army turtle that illustrates how turtle's body parts are adapted to fit their environment
  • Interactive games that use the science of radio telemetry to track turtles through their terrain
  • Live turtles
  • Cutout "turtle traveler" and "turtle tracker" stand-ups where visitors can pose for photographs
  • A restful spot for lounging on a turtle and discovering the many turtles that star in children's tales

Turtle Travels, a traveling exhibition created by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative (EEC), will be at the Family Museum from Saturday, October 15, 2011 through Sunday, May 20, 2012. Admission to Turtle Travels is free with Family Museum admission.

Turtle_Tunnel: Visitors can crawl under the turtle tunnel to safely reach the other side of the road.

Reading_Area: Relax on a turtle seat and read your favorite turtle book.

Track_the_Turtle: Use the antenna to find the hidden turtle. Use the same radio telemetry equipment that scientists use to study how turtles live and travel.

Turtle_Shell_Station: Work with a partner to build the arch of a turtle's shell. A turtle's shell is shaped like a series of arches, giving it great strength.

The Family Museum is a hands-on children's museum located in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Hours

Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm

Thursday 9am-8pm

Sunday noon-5pm

 

Admission

Free for Family Museum members and children under age 1

$4 for children age 1 up to age 2

$7 for ages 2-59

$4 for ages 60+
10 Oct 2011

MULTIMEDIA: Ames Resident Testifies before Congressional Veterans Panel

By Jeff Giertz

Michael Boone describes work on adaptive sports before Veterans Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

 

Washington, DC - Michael Boone, the Director of Adaptive Sports Iowa and an Ames resident, today testified before the US House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity about promoting sports opportunities among disabled veterans.  Rep. Bruce Braley is the top ranking Democrat on the subcommittee.

 

"The work Mike Boone is doing is invaluable to disabled veterans," Braley said.  "Adaptive sports not only give disabled veterans a chance to exercise physically, they also help heal the mind and soul.  Expanding the availability of adaptive sports like those championed by Mike Boone will make their benefits available to more veterans across the country."

The committee hearing examined a grant program that funds community-based efforts to assist wounded warriors and veterans through adaptive sport programs.  It reviewed the partnership between the United States Paralympics and the Department of Veterans affairs to promote adaptive sports.

 

YouTube video of the hearing can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-PH8BtixPc

720p high-definition video can be downloaded here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21501138/braley.va.committee.10.05.11.mp4

(Note: the video includes Boone's opening statement; it also includes a question and answer exchange between Braley and Boone.)

More information about Adaptive Sports Iowa can be found at: http://iowasportsfoundation.org/Sports/AdaptiveSportsIowa.aspx

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10 Oct 2011

The Role of Judges in our Constitutional System

By Grassley Press

Opening Statement of Ranking Member Chuck Grassley

Senate Committee on the Judiciary

The Role of Judges in our Constitutional System

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding today's hearing.  I appreciate your efforts to secure the testimony of our distinguished witnesses.  I hope that this hearing will be an enlightening experience in which we will discuss the role of judges in our constitutional system.  This is a question as old as the Constitution itself and it will always be debated.

I extend a welcome to each of our witnesses.  Justice Breyer, let me extend a welcome back to the Senate Judiciary Committee to you.  As the chairman stated, you are a former chief counsel of this Committee.  I remind you of your statement in your recent book, "Criticism of judges and judicial decisions traces back to our founding.  It is a healthy thing in a democracy."  I hope you will feel that way as much at the end of the hearing as you did then.  We know that you did not have to appear before us, and that your schedule is very busy, so we appreciate that you both have agreed to speak to us.

Justice Scalia, I'm also glad to see you here today.  As Judge Posner recently remarked, you have "a real flair for judging."  I think that is an understatement.  You as much as anyone have strongly advanced the traditional view that a judge's role under the Constitution is to interpret the law according to its text and history.

For my own part, I believe that the role of judges under the Constitution is an important but limited one.  Unless the Constitution provides otherwise, the people through their elected representatives govern themselves.  In determining the meaning of the Constitution, judges are to apply the intent of the Framers, since that is the extent of the limitation on self-government that the people have agreed to impose on themselves.  When judges change the meaning of the Constitution and create new rights, or grant the government powers that it was not intended to have, they reduce the right of the people to govern themselves through the representative government process.  Historically, these are the circumstances in which judges and their decisions have been fairly criticized.

It is rare for sitting Supreme Court Justices to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  I look forward to your testimony as well as the chance to discuss these important questions with you.-30-

10 Oct 2011

Governor Quinn Launches $78 Million Initiative to Support Small and Start-Up Businesses

By Katelyn Tye

Advantage Illinois to Provide Access to Capital for Businesses and Entrepreneurs to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy

CHICAGO - October 5, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today launched the Advantage Illinois program that is designed to provide Illinois businesses and entrepreneurs with access to the capital they need to start new companies and expand existing business. Advantage Illinois will leverage $78 million in federal funding that will allow businesses to bring innovative ideas and new products to market and accelerate job creation and economic growth in Illinois.

"Advantage Illinois will help Illinois businesses of all sizes increase innovation and competition, and expand and create good-paying jobs," Governor Quinn said. "In order to boost our economy, create jobs and compete in the global marketplace, we must provide businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow."

The Advantage Illinois program is comprised of three program components to spur institutional lending, and one program to leverage private venture capital in start-ups and high-growth businesses:

Capital Access Program (CAP) assists businesses with various financing needs. It is designed to encourage financial institutions to make loans to small and new businesses that do not qualify under conventional lending policies.

Participation Loan Program (PLP) supports businesses with projects that create or retain jobs and/or modernize their businesses to improve competitiveness. One component of the program is devoted to Minority/Women/Disabled/Veteran-Owned businesses (MWDV PLP). The state purchases and subordinates part of the loan to help mitigate lender risk.

Collateral Support Program (CSP) establishes savings accounts or CDs that provide cash collateral support to lending institutions to enhance the equity and/or loan collateral levels of small business borrowers.

Invest Illinois Venture Fund Program (IIVF) is a new venture capital program to support young, innovative companies in Illinois that show high growth potential, can demonstrate their place in the market and already have other investors.

Starting today, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will be actively enrolling lending institutions that will, in turn, provide financing to businesses utilizing the CAP, PLP and CSP components of the program. Businesses will be able to begin accessing loans to use these funds when they have completed the appropriate paperwork with a participating lending institution. Program guidelines, including lender applications, and a regularly updated list of participating banks will be available at www.ildceo.net/AdvantageIllinois.

Businesses interested participating in the Invest Illinois Venture Fund (IIVF) may submit their applications online to DCEO at www.ildceo.net/AdvantageIllinois. The fund is also supported by the Governor's Illinois Innovation Council, which is actively working to execute strategies to enhance awareness of capital availability in Illinois and connect the dots between great ideas and the partners who can help turn ideas into companies and products.

"Illinois is a place where industry, innovation and ideas thrive," said Chris Girgenti, Managing Partner of New World Ventures and member of the Illinois Innovation Council (www.illinoisinnovation.com). "But, it takes capital to turn ideas into reality. Advantage Illinois is a critical tool, at a critical time for our economy."

Advantage Illinois builds upon Governor Quinn's commitment to enhancing business growth. The Advantage Illinois initiative is expected to generate a minimum of at least $10 in new private lending for small and medium-sized businesses for every $1 of federal funding, resulting in around $800 million of private sector investments and loans being pumped into the economy over the next few years. The Brookings Institution recently noted more than 95 percent of new jobs are derived from business expansions or start-up activity.

Funding for Advantage Illinois is being provided by the U.S. Treasury through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which was created as part of the American Small Business Jobs Act signed into law by President Obama in 2010. The program will be administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"These funds will help creditworthy small businesses access the lending they need to invest and hire, providing a powerful boost for economic growth and job creation," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal S. Wolin. "Expanding access to credit will help ensure that more of Illinois' entrepreneurs and small businesses can invest in their local communities to put more Americans back to work."

"We are targeting investments in every area of the economy to help keep moving Illinois forward," said DCEO Director Warren Ribley. "Through this program, we are giving businesses a booster shot in the form of deploying new tools to ease the credit crunch they have experienced in recent years, improve the field of play and give Illinois companies an advantage against the competition."

In 2011, Governor Quinn's leadership has been instrumental in expanding the availability of more than $150 million in investment capital through enactment of the Technology Development Account II, implementation of the Angel Investment Tax Credit and now through the launch of Advantage Illinois.

Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's aggressive business agenda that is helping move the Illinois economy forward. The state maintains a large portfolio of programs, which is designed to help Illinois businesses thrive in today's economy. For more information, please visit www.ilbiz.biz.

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10 Oct 2011

The Beggarmen in Concert at Riverside Theatre - special youth/student tickets added

By Sarah Burnett

October 5, 2011 - Iowa City, IA

 

Get in the mood for The Cripple of Inishmaan at Riverside Theatre with one of the region's best Irish musical ensembles, The Beggarmen, on Saturday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. at Riverside Theatre.

 

All music featured in Riverside Theatre's upcoming production of The Cripple of Inishmaan will be provided by The Beggarmen.

 

Since their first performance at a small pub in Iowa, The Beggarmen has gone on to headline folk festivals and concert halls throughout the Midwest, greeting audiences with their unique style of Irish music.

 

Original founding member Brad Pouleson (vocals, low and high whistles, uilleann pipes, and mandolin) is joined by veteran Celtic/folk guitarist and singer Keith Reins, renowned fiddler and singer Tara Dutcher and Joe Dutcher on bodhran, Irish flute, and vocals.

 

Also appearing at the concert will be world class Irish step dancer Taylor J. Best, who is a student at the University of Iowa.

 

Tickets for the concert are $20 and youth/student tickets are $15 with ID. Tickets can be ordered through the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 213 N. Gilbert St., (319) 338-7672 or purchased at the door the night of the concert.

All proceeds from the event to benefit Riverside Theatre.

For more information on The Beggarmen go to www.beggarmen.com for more information on The Cripple of Inishmaan and Riverside Theatre go to www.riversidetheatre.org.

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10 Oct 2011

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities news

By Stephanie Lanoo

1.  Cindy Sadlek will lead a discussion of the American philosopher Ken Wilber's book The Integral Vision:  a very short introduction to the Revolutionary Integral Approach to Life, God, the Universe, and Everything beginning Wednesday, October 12 and continuing October19th and 26th, in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 3707 Eastern Ave., Davenport.  It is offered both at 10:30 am and 7 pm.  To register, contact the church secretary, Stephanie Lanoo, at 563 359 0816.

Wilber asks:  What if we attempted to find the critically essential keys to human growth, based on the sum total of human knowledge now open to us? His answer is a kind of meta-structure of human experience and, more importantly, human potential. His Integral Map, or Integral Operating System (IOS), is drawn from developmental psychology, worldviews, multiple intelligences, gender studies, the nature of consciousness, etc. Wilber asserts that the IOS approach to life permits all fields of endeavor at last to speak with one another in a common language. Clearly, however, spirituality dominates much of his thought. Wilber's work is still accessible and at times surprisingly practical. Some language spirals up majestically, recalling great Eastern texts. Reminiscent in spirit and watershed import of Ram Dass's Be Here Now, Wilber's work may well become a popular classic for explorers on the frontiers of humanity.

2.  Kathleen Lawless Cox, former poet laureate of the Quad Cities, will present a workshop on writing poetry related to nature and spirituality on Saturday
morning, October 15, from 9 am to noon in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport. It will include
readings of poetry of Kabir, Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, Whitman and others. There will be discussion of the content, techniques and emotional and
intellectual responses to the poems, the connections and reflections the words arouse as participants come face to face with nature.  The workshop will include writing time and time to share poems by participants.  To register, email qcuu@mchsi.com, or call Kathleen Lawless Cox at 309 794 9773.

10 Oct 2011

Great Iowa Treasure Hunt Gearing Up for Fall Publication

By Michael Fitzgerald

DES MOINES, IA (10/05/2011)(readMedia)-- Fall is a busy time of year in Iowa. Students are returning to school, and farmers are beginning to harvest their fields. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is also hard at work preparing the fall publication of the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.

"I encourage everyone to search for their name in the paper," said Fitzgerald. "This publication has the most up-to-date unclaimed property listings in the Great Iowa Treasurer Hunt, so make sure to search, even if you've checked before. You may also search for your name by visiting www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com. Checking the paper or visiting us online is well worth the short time it takes."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $135 million in unclaimed property to more than 314,000 properties has been paid out since Fitzgerald started it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer's Office, where it is held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.

"My job is to return unclaimed property to the rightful owners," Fitzgerald said. "It is very rewarding to be able to reunite people with their lost money."

For more information about the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, visit www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com. Interested individuals can also correspond by email at foundit@iowa.gov or by contacting the treasurer's office at the following address: Michael Fitzgerald, State Treasurer, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. Please include the name(s), maiden name(s), current and previous address(es) of those people you would like searched.

10 Oct 2011

Kraft Foods to Help The Salvation Army

By Holly Nomura
Paints and Restores part of the century old building that houses the homeless and provides evening meals to the community.

Davenport Oscar Mayer Plant Supports The Salvation Army of the Quad Cities' Family Service Center @ 301 W. 6th Street, Davenport

QUAD CITIES, USA - Twenty Kraft Foods employees from the Davenport Oscar Mayer plant will roll up their sleeves this Thursday to help The Salvation Army of the Quad Cities brighten up an entire section of their building. The 20 volunteers will be using their time and energy to assist the less fortunate as part of the company's annual "Delicious Difference Week." The benefactor is the Family Service Center, a Salvation Army program working to help the homeless and displaced population and feed an average of 100 people from the community each evening. The Oscar Mayer staff will mend, restore and paint the 2,600 sqft. area referred to as the "Meal Site."

"The Meal Site program has been uncommonly busy this summer and fall. This renovation provided by Kraft Foods will be an enormously noticeable difference. Dignity is fostered in clean orderly surroundings." said Major Gary Felton, Quad Cities Coordinator.

The Family Service Center, the only family shelter in the Quad Cities area, 301 W. 6th Street, Davenport provides housing to approximately 32 families every night. Right now, there are 47 children living at the Center. Over a year's time, over 40,000 meals will be served and 19,000 nights of shelter provided.

About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide. For more information about local programs, go to http://www.salvationarmy.org/quadcities. -###### -

10 Oct 2011

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Recycled Trinket Basket

By Lisa Gerwulf

 

On Saturday, October 15th from 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center will host a hands-on, recycling project.  Baskets will be made utilizing a plastic, pop bottle bottom as the base.  Then "plarn" (plastic yarn) and pop can tabs will create a decorative edge around the top.  Basic sewing skills are needed to complete the project.  A great program for scout groups!  Participants are asked to pre-register by Thursday, October 13 at (563) 328-3286.

The Wapsi River Environmental Education Center can be found 6 miles south of Wheatland or 1 mile northwest of Dixon, Iowa by taking County Road Y4E.  Then turn north at 52nd Avenue and follow the signs for about 1 mile.

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