12
Nov
2002
• A number of controversial races apparently drove a record number of voters to the polls for the November 5 election, with 52,942 of the 112,073 registered voters (or 47 percent) in Scott County casting ballots. Breaking down the numbers by city yields some interesting numbers, with only 9,901 of 24,445 registered voters (41 percent) from Bettendorf and 20,622 of 66,865 registered voters (31 percent) from Davenport voting. There were 13,348 absentee ballots cast in the county. You can see the election results for yourself at Scott County's excellent Web site at (http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/auditor/election_returns.html).
• Rosie's For All Kids Foundation has awarded Davenport's Friendly House a grant of nearly $9,600 to fund after-school and pre-school scholarships during the academic school year. The foundation awards grants to not-for-profit organizations dedicated to helping children and their families through programs such as child care, early-childhood education, and literacy. Since its inception in 1997, grants have been awarded to more than 800 not-for-profit organizations, and the foundation has raised a total of $50 million.
• The Bettendorf Public Library makes full-text magazine and newspaper databases available to cardholders via the library's Web site. To access the services, go to (http://www.bettendorflibrary.com) and click on the "24/7 Electronic Resources" link. In addition to general magazine and newspaper articles suitable for students, services include education, business, and health databases of interest to educators and professionals. Articles can be printed or e-mailed and contain current information. NoveList - a service that helps fiction lovers find good books to read - and full-text e-books are also available. A class on how to take advantage of these services will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. Call (563)344-4175 to register.
• The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend will join more than 600 community foundations across the country for Community Foundation Week, November 12 through 18, to celebrate local charitable giving. With assets of more than $31.4 billion, community foundations are one of the fastest growing sectors of philanthropy in the United States today. In 2001, donors gave U.S.-based community foundations more than $3.5 billion in gifts. Grant-making increased 18 percent during a period when many not-for-profits struggled in an uncertain economy. The mission of the Community Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the communities it serves by encouraging permanent charitable giving to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more information, go to (http://www.cfgrb.org) or call (563)326-2840.
• Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation (RIEGC) has been granted $417,000 by the Illinois Housing Development Authority through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and its Housing Trust Fund Program. RIEGC will be offering approximately 18 prospective homebuyers the opportunity to become homeowners with assistance toward down payment, closing costs, and rehabilitation of homes. The program is now available for homes purchased within the City of Rock Island. The mortgage value of the house cannot exceed $132,000, and the property must be an owner-occupied dwelling that is sold on a voluntary basis. Interested participants should contact RIEGC at (309)788-6311.
• The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) recently released a report prepared for the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs that reviews how selected agencies handle personal information provided by members of the public to obtain government services. The report examines in detail how personal information collected through four representative forms (from four different federal agencies) was treated, and whether requirements under the Privacy Act and the Computer Matching Act were appropriately followed. The four forms were the Education Department's student-aid request form, the Department of Agriculture's standard loan form for farmers, the Department of Labor's federal worker's compensation form, and a passport application from the State Department. The study found that the procedures for handling collected personal information were complex, involving numerous processes, and that a wide range of personnel has access to the information. In addition, the personal information collected was shared extensively with other government entities, private individuals, and organizations following "authorized procedures." To learn more, look at the GAO report available at (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d021058.pdf).
• More than $90,000 in grants has been awarded to 25 programs in the Quad Cities area as a result of recent funding approved by the board of trustees of the Moline Foundation in the last of its three grant-award announcements for 2002. The grants include money for the Skip A Long Day Care Center, the American Red Cross, the Robert R. Jones Public Library, the Rock Island YWCA, and Viva Quad Cities. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and has a current endowment of approximately $10 million. The next deadline for grant applications from not-for-profit organizations is Wednesday, January 15.
• Signature Holding Corporation has spent $2.25 million to buy 10 buildings on 20 acres of the former Marycrest International University campus in Davenport, with plans to develop housing for senior citizens. The company is seeking re-zoning of the property, federal funding, and city-council support for the project. Proceeds from the sale went to the Japan-based Teikyo Yamanashi Education & Welfare Foundation, which bought the property for $5 million in 1990. The college, which closed earlier this year, and its parent company are facing allegations that the not-for-profit organization was actually being run for profit, that Teikyo officials misrepresented the school's financial condition, and that unqualified students were routed through the school. The Des Moines Register has reported that Japanese tax officials levied a $17 million penalty against Teikyo University last summer for a bookkeeping scam that enabled the university to avoid paying taxes on some of its income.
• Rosie's For All Kids Foundation has awarded Davenport's Friendly House a grant of nearly $9,600 to fund after-school and pre-school scholarships during the academic school year. The foundation awards grants to not-for-profit organizations dedicated to helping children and their families through programs such as child care, early-childhood education, and literacy. Since its inception in 1997, grants have been awarded to more than 800 not-for-profit organizations, and the foundation has raised a total of $50 million.
• The Bettendorf Public Library makes full-text magazine and newspaper databases available to cardholders via the library's Web site. To access the services, go to (http://www.bettendorflibrary.com) and click on the "24/7 Electronic Resources" link. In addition to general magazine and newspaper articles suitable for students, services include education, business, and health databases of interest to educators and professionals. Articles can be printed or e-mailed and contain current information. NoveList - a service that helps fiction lovers find good books to read - and full-text e-books are also available. A class on how to take advantage of these services will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. Call (563)344-4175 to register.
• The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend will join more than 600 community foundations across the country for Community Foundation Week, November 12 through 18, to celebrate local charitable giving. With assets of more than $31.4 billion, community foundations are one of the fastest growing sectors of philanthropy in the United States today. In 2001, donors gave U.S.-based community foundations more than $3.5 billion in gifts. Grant-making increased 18 percent during a period when many not-for-profits struggled in an uncertain economy. The mission of the Community Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the communities it serves by encouraging permanent charitable giving to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more information, go to (http://www.cfgrb.org) or call (563)326-2840.
• Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation (RIEGC) has been granted $417,000 by the Illinois Housing Development Authority through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and its Housing Trust Fund Program. RIEGC will be offering approximately 18 prospective homebuyers the opportunity to become homeowners with assistance toward down payment, closing costs, and rehabilitation of homes. The program is now available for homes purchased within the City of Rock Island. The mortgage value of the house cannot exceed $132,000, and the property must be an owner-occupied dwelling that is sold on a voluntary basis. Interested participants should contact RIEGC at (309)788-6311.
• The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) recently released a report prepared for the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs that reviews how selected agencies handle personal information provided by members of the public to obtain government services. The report examines in detail how personal information collected through four representative forms (from four different federal agencies) was treated, and whether requirements under the Privacy Act and the Computer Matching Act were appropriately followed. The four forms were the Education Department's student-aid request form, the Department of Agriculture's standard loan form for farmers, the Department of Labor's federal worker's compensation form, and a passport application from the State Department. The study found that the procedures for handling collected personal information were complex, involving numerous processes, and that a wide range of personnel has access to the information. In addition, the personal information collected was shared extensively with other government entities, private individuals, and organizations following "authorized procedures." To learn more, look at the GAO report available at (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d021058.pdf).
• More than $90,000 in grants has been awarded to 25 programs in the Quad Cities area as a result of recent funding approved by the board of trustees of the Moline Foundation in the last of its three grant-award announcements for 2002. The grants include money for the Skip A Long Day Care Center, the American Red Cross, the Robert R. Jones Public Library, the Rock Island YWCA, and Viva Quad Cities. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and has a current endowment of approximately $10 million. The next deadline for grant applications from not-for-profit organizations is Wednesday, January 15.
• Signature Holding Corporation has spent $2.25 million to buy 10 buildings on 20 acres of the former Marycrest International University campus in Davenport, with plans to develop housing for senior citizens. The company is seeking re-zoning of the property, federal funding, and city-council support for the project. Proceeds from the sale went to the Japan-based Teikyo Yamanashi Education & Welfare Foundation, which bought the property for $5 million in 1990. The college, which closed earlier this year, and its parent company are facing allegations that the not-for-profit organization was actually being run for profit, that Teikyo officials misrepresented the school's financial condition, and that unqualified students were routed through the school. The Des Moines Register has reported that Japanese tax officials levied a $17 million penalty against Teikyo University last summer for a bookkeeping scam that enabled the university to avoid paying taxes on some of its income.
