The City of Davenport will be holding a series of focus groups and community workshops to guide the design of its riverfront, including the expansion of LeClaire Park. A public kickoff will be held on Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. This will be a 90-minute presentation held at the River Music Experience. The event will cover the project scope (including specific parcels), River Vision, the area's history, and the city's application for a state Community Attraction & Tourism grant. People are also welcome to provide their feedback at the Design Center (102 East Second Street), by phone (563-888-2252), or through the City's Web site (http://www.cityofdavenportiowa.com).

Before introducing longtime mentor Don Wooten, host Kai Swanson said of his morning's duties, "My job is simply to keep things moving along, which I'll fail at right now. I understand from the program that our next speaker has five minutes, and when I saw that on the program, I told the organizer [New Ground Theatre's Chris Jansen], 'Good luck.' Because although he is one of the most gifted communicators I have ever known, he does believe - as do the ends of J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings - that anything worth saying is worth saying lo-o-o-ong."

Twelve Quad Cities-area artists have been selected by a jury to create works for an exhibition and auction in conjunction with a major show at the Figge Art Museum. The artists will donate the 12 pieces to benefit the Figge, where the local artworks will be displayed from the week before a fundraising gala until May 27, or whenever the winning bidders choose to take possession of the artworks. The selected artists were Emily Christenson, Catherine Jones Davies, Diane Dexter-Wall, Sara Jane Fellin, Kristin Garnant, Ulrike Goerlich, David Heffner, Heidi Hernandez, Nancy Lindsay, Jim Riesberg, Bruce Walters, and Peter Xiao. The museum will present its fundraising gala "Under the Big Sky" on March 24, when guests can see the major exhibition of Deborah Butterfield's horse sculptures as well as the Follow the Horses show of locally created works. To make reservations for the gala, contact special-events coordinator Mary Davidson at (563) 326-7804 extension 2046. Admission is $125 per person, which includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, live music, wine, and cocktails. 

The American Bass Anglers will hold a regional championship in the Quad Cities this year. The event takes place from September 27 to 29 at Sunset Marina in Rock Island. Debra Talley, national marketing director for the American Bass Anglers, was in the Quad Cities on February 14 to tour the area and discuss tournament logistics. Pre-tournament fishing will begin on September 23, with official weigh-ins and banquets on Saturday, September 29. Approximately 500 anglers will fish the Mississippi River over the spring and summer to practice for the regional event. The economic impact of this event is estimated at close to $1 million.