Volume 2, Issue 4 | November/December/January 2012-13
A PUBLICATION OF RIVER ACTION, INC. www.riveraction.org
Connecting people to the river
Planting Ideas
Inside this issue: : : Planning Matters : : QC Innovators : : Upper Mississippi River Conference : : Mississippi Mayor’s Initiative
Route
to the
R 30 KENNEDY SQ
Ride Metro to work or your favorite location. Run, walk or bike back. Make it your healthy routine! You’ll save money, help the environment, and maintain your active lifestyle.
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PUBLISHER’S LET TER
Mississippi Musings
November/December/January 2012-13 Volume 2 Issue 4 _______
KATHY WINE, Publisher / Executive Director BETH CLARK, Managing Editor, Milepost Ventures, LLC BECKY LANGDON, Copy Editor JEFF VanECHAUTE (pi design, inc.), Design MICHELLE O’HARA, Calendar Editor Contributing Writers MICHELLE O’HARA, River Action Staff DAN MCNEIL, River Action Staff BECKY LANGDON LESLIE KLIPSCH Contributing Photographers/Photographs BETH CLARK JEFF VanECHAUTE STOCK: 123RF.COM AND iSTOCK.COM ©eddy Magazine and River Action, Inc., all rights reserved, 2012-13. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without express, written permission, is prohibited. The views expressed herein, whether expressed as fact, fiction, opinion, advice or otherwise are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of this magazine. This magazine is sold with the understanding that neither it, nor River Action, Inc., its owners or managers, are engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, medical, technical, or any other advice, professional or otherwise. The publication of any advertisement does not reflect the endorsement of any products or services by the ownership or management of this magazine unless it is specifically stated in such advertisement and there is written approval for such endorsement. Those submitting manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material to eddy Magazine for consideration should not send originals. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other submitted materials must be accompanied by a self addressed, postage paid envelope in return of materials is requested. Return of materials is not guaranteed. eddy Magazine is published quarterly by River Action, Inc., 822 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA 52803 and is direct mailed to approximately 6,000 area homes and businesses. eddy Magazine Published by River Action, Inc. 822 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA 52803 563-322-2969 www.riveraction.org To Advertise: Contact Beth Clark 309-269-3455. For rates, ad dimensions and deadline information email bethcolbyclark@gmail.com To Subscribe or become a member of River Action: call 563-322-2969 or visit www.riveraction.org
Everyone comes to the river motivated by many different factors. For some it’s the longing for a special place of solitude. Others are moved by the prospect of helping wild creatures. For many the motivation is to secure wilderness places that are a tonic to the stresses of everyday Kathy Wine life. Sometimes it is the need for the stimulus of an outdoor classroom or river event. Increasingly, people are motivated by a growing awareness of the link between healthy natural systems and human wellbeing. We can often find allies whose motivation to work with River Action has little to do with our mission at all.
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oday we are calling on allies! We need all of you to be members to share with others what you read in eddy Magazine about what River Action is doing and to be part of our outreach. We need your ideas on what we should or should not do. We need you to be engaged in policy, events, funding, and celebrating. We need to expand our outreach efforts through you. Building a culture of conservation INSIDE THIS ISSUE and riverfront renewal in the Quad Cities 4 River Action Updates must be built on impact. People give to 4 UPPER MISSISSIPPI create impact and change, and we hope RIVER CONFERENCE — Kathy Wine to successfully integrate those ideas into 4 BLACKHAWK STATE PARK: New Bridge every part of our organization. To that end, at a QC Wild Place, “Take a hike along the river trail. “ we will conduct a survey to determine the — Kathy Wine possibilities for the future and determine 5 2012 YOUTH SUMMIT RECAP — Kathy Wine how membership can be made valuable to 6 Mississippi River Mayor’s Initiative each of you. Currently, we offer members — by Becky Langdon various premiums, but could we do 8 Quad City Innovators: Great Ideas! something more? — by Becky Langdon The Mississippi offers us many benefits, 10 Planning Matters: Plans in the works places to explore and enjoy with our for the QCA — by Leslie Klipsch families, plus opportunities for learning 13 eddy Calendar: November – January and discovery. River Action offers ways to Winter activities abound in the QCA! give back to the river. Among them are — by Michelle O’Hara finding a place to volunteer and becoming a member. You will find some of those Our Mission: opportunities in eddy. Read on. River Action strives to foster the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad City region.
COVER: Illustration by Jeff VanEchaute @ pi design. November/December/January 2012-13 | eddy Magazine
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RIVER AC TION UPDATES
2012 Upper Mississippi River Conference and Youth Summit
By Kathy Wine
“ Make room for the river in your life, flood plain, and architecture” was the theme for
this year’s Upper Mississippi River Conference and Youth Summit, held at the Stoney Creek Inn and Western Illinois University Riverfront Campus in Moline. The conference occurred September 26-28 and drew one hundred fifty attendees plus youth from around the Quad Cities area for the Youth Summit. > > >
QC Wild Places: Ribbon Cutting at Black Hawk State Historic Site QC media joined Friends of Black Hawk State Historic Site, QC Wild Places partners, and River Action for the ribbon cutting of a new suspension bridge September 19, 2012. This twenty-eight-foot pedestrian bridge opening enables full use of the lower Rock River trail for the first time in several years because it replaces a washed out crossing along the lower river trail. The bridge was designed by Bill Ashton, Structural Engineer, Ashton Engineering, and built by Swenson Construction. Because the engineering was performed pro bono, the total cost of the bridge included only the materials and labor, costing $10,000. The Black Hawk bridge is the second ribbon cutting; the first was a new trail at Sunderbruch Park, Davenport, which opened this past summer. Black Hawk State Historic Site, 1510 46th Avenue, Rock Island, is an important natural space in the highly developed area along the Rock River. This park’s deciduous hardwood forest contains oak and other hardwood tree species, along with over thirty wildflower species, and it provides habitat to an assortment of creatures including warblers, fox squirrels, and bald eagles. River Action’s QC Wild Places, QCWildPlaces.com, now encompasses sixty-three wilderness sites in eight counties. The program improves access to wilderness areas by funding trail improvements, wayfinding, and where appropriate, plantings. On Earth Day 2012, River Action organized a cleanup, garlic mustard pull, and hauling of brush in order to restore woodlands overgrown with invasive plants to native oak savanna at Black Hawk Historic Site. River Action has taken up the call to bring Quad Cities’ natural areas to the attention of its communities and counties and to foster ecotourism to these amazing resources.
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RIVER AC TION UPDATES
Keynote speaker Paul Osman, State Floodplain Manager, Illinois DNR, spoke on the topic of “Make Room for the River in the Floodplain.” He discussed issues including flood insurance and building in the floodplain, and praised the fact that ninety-five percent of cities on the Upper Mississippi River have floodplain management plans in place. Slides from his presentation are available on River Action’s website, RiverAction.org. In his presentation “The Tennessee River: Chattanooga’s Catalyst to Rebirth” Larry Zehnder, Chattanooga’s Parks Director, gave some insight into what it took to turn what Walter Cronkite once called “The Dirtiest City in America” into a thriving destination city. Scott Tomkins of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency quizzed attendees on water policy and America’s environmental history during his presentation titled: “The Clean Water Act: What’s the Point? Or is it Pointless?”
The conference comprised three diverse tracks with a variety of other speakers and facilitators plus three hands-on field trips. In conjunction with the Upper Mississippi River Conference, the Youth Summit was held on September 26 and engaged students in learning about the Mississippi River and its ecological and cultural connections. Through presentations by environmental professionals and group discussions, students discovered the role they play in the river ecosystem and how to make a difference in the river community. Some topics of interest included restoring the river, adopting America’s creeks, and exploring connections between people and water. River Action’s Youth Advisory Board, a group of young leaders dedicated to the Mississippi River’s vitality as a resource and ecosystem, created a pledge that acted as the Youth Summit’s overarching theme: • The youth will work to improve our relationships with the river’s ecosystems and with communities both upstream and downstream. • Because the river ecosystem has inherent value as an educational, recreational, cultural, economic, and aesthetic resource, we will advocate conscious involvement and encourage new initiatives of stewardship toward nature. • To have an enduring positive impact, we will act as a single community, united upstream and downstream, through the collaborative efforts of today’s youth. The pledge was displayed at the summit giving students the opportunity to sign it throughout the conference.
Meet the Alcoa eagles So far in 2012, more than 12 million visitors from across the globe have tuned in to witness an American icon, the bald eagle, developing live within this unique eco-system. In the fall and winter the eagles use the nest to eat and prepare the nest for the next season. Eagles nesting in Iowa typically lay eggs in late February and the eggs hatch in late March. The eaglets grow quickly and dare to fly “fledge” in late May or early June.
Alcoa is proud that our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability is helping conserve our precious natural resources. Alcoa. Advancing each generation.
www.alcoa.com/eaglecam/ November/December/January 2012-13 | eddy Magazine
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RIVER AC TION UPDATES
Strength in Numb3rs: The Mississippi River gets a powerful new voice By Becky Langdon
Q
uad City mayors are joining together with more than forty other mayors from cities and towns along the Mississippi River as part of a new initiative to promote the prosperity, sustainability, and economic growth of the river and its bordering states. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) formed in February of this year with a goal of involving fifty mayors from cities and towns bordering the Mississippi by the end of the year. The mayors are using 2012 to form a platform by which they can engage federal stakeholders to demonstrate the importance of the river and address issues in a unified way. All five mayors from the Quad Cities have joined the initiative. Mayor John Thodos of East Moline says, “The river is our greatest asset and it must be protected and developed in a sustainable way.” The mayors held their first meeting September 12-14 in St. Louis. They met with federal, state, local, and private sector stakeholders to assemble an agenda around the Mississippi River that they plan to unveil in Washington in March. Through these working sessions they have identified five main priorities they want to pursue: watershed grant reform at the federal level; reform of two major programs, the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund; working to make the national flood insurance program more sustainable and more financially secure; forming a congressional caucus for the entire Mississippi River main stem; and pursuing ways in which the port and shipping economies along the Mississippi can be more competitive post Panama Canal expansion. MRCTI Director Colin Wellenkamp says, “One of the great things about our meeting is there were a lot of people talking who don’t normally talk to each other – across different levels of government, across different industries. It was very beneficial.” Wellenkamp says the exemplary work the Quad Cities area has done by coming around the river as an asset is something MRCTI wanted to replicate, and it was critical in motivating mayors from surrounding cities
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“ The river is our greatest asset and it must be protected and developed in a sustainable way.” – Mayor John Thodos
to come on board at an early stage. The Quad Cities have provided an example for concepts such as sustainable zoning, watershed planning with five cities working together cooperatively, and trail extensions through and along the waterfront, to name a few. Mayor Thodos says, “This is an important time for the Mississippi River and a turning point for the Quad Cities region. As cities around the country pursue more sustainable economies, the Quad Cities with their sustainable zoning models and multi-city regional watershed planning ventures can offer an example of how those economies may form.” The Mississippi River is an asset that hasn’t always received the same level of attention at the federal level that other parts of the country have received. For example, Wellenkamp notes that over 180 million dollars went into the Florida Everglades to restore it, which was just one state. The Mississippi River, in contrast, goes
Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Director Colin Wellenkamp
through ten states. Sixty-two percent of the nation’s agricultural output travels up and down the river. Eighteen million people get their drinking water from the Mississippi, and over one million jobs are dependent on the river. It cuts through the entire nation, but the national priority and spending on this resource has been less than the Everglades. “The Mississippi is something that cannot be ignored,” says Wellenkamp. “Two mayors – even five – may have trouble getting through bureaucratic walls. But if you’re a federal regulator or policy-maker surrounded by fifteen to twenty mayors and they’re all telling you the same things – from big cities and small cities – that volume of voice is going to create attention.” MRCTI was started by the NortheastMidwest Institute, a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization based in the nation’s capital, and it is funded for one year by a grant from the Walton Foundation. It was modeled after a previous successful initiative the Northeast-Midwest Institute assembled in 2002 around the Great Lakes, utilizing the voice of the mayors to improve the health of the Great Lakes both economically and environmentally. MRCTI will evolve to become its own organization headquartered in one of the bordering cities over the next eighteen to twenty-four months.
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GREEN BUSINESS
Innovators: QC By Becky Langdon
Local Business Founders Make an Impact
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he Quad Cities area is brimming with innovators who are willing to pursue bold ideas and devote their time, resources, and energy to making a positive environmental and economic impact in our community. Two of these innovators come from an engineering background and each have founded local companies but are solving environmental problems in very different ways.
Molly Arp Newell
Founder and Principal, EnviroNET, Inc.
“
We would rather clean up a brownfield site than see urban sprawl and greenfield development.
”
Molly Arp Newell doesn’t like to talk about herself. She prefers to talk about her company, her latest projects, and above all, the amazing environmental and economic work that teams of local professionals and municipalities are accomplishing in the Quad Cities area. Newell founded the Davenport company EnviroNET, which is a network of professionals with multi-disciplinary fields who solve engineering and environmental problems relating to real estate revitalization and liability assessments. EnviroNET’s offices are located at the nationally landmarked building One River Place, which reflects Newell’s passion for preserving history. That passion intertwines with her work in rejuvenating brownfield sites for economic development. “We would rather clean up a brownfield site than see urban sprawl and greenfield development,” says Newell. “Manufacturing is part of our past, and we should not be afraid to incorporate property with light industrial uses into the fabric of our community.” A Quad Cities native, Newell trained as an oilfield engineer out of school before contracting with the US Environmental Protection Agency for a year and working for various firms in the environmental business. When she founded EnivroNET she believed her company could help other companies understand and comply with emerging regulations. Her biggest concern was quantifying the environmental liability associated with property acquisition and transfer and assessing potential problems with soil and groundwater land use restrictions. She prides herself and her
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team on being “straight shooters,” and even won an Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau. One of the biggest projects Newell and EnviroNET have completed in the last year is the assessment and cleanup of a large portion of riverfront property previously owned by Illinois Oil Company at the foot of the government bridge on the Illinois side of the river. “I’ve never been on a dirtier site, and I’ve been to a lot of sites,” Newell says. “No one really gets how amazing that was. The ground was saturated with oil. You could squeeze it out with your hand.” The assessment and cleanup of the site was part of a project to repurpose the Illinois Oil Company building into apartments in an ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Rock Island. EnviroNET designed an innovative solution using the least expensive combination of remedial techniques to achieve environmental closure, a process completed using state and federal grants in just eighteen months start to finish. Newell says there were those who doubted that it could be done, and she modestly defers credit to Brian Hollenbeck, the executive director of Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation. The community response to the project has been impressive. “There was a waiting list of sixty people for thirty apartments in an oil pit,” Newell says. “They had confidence we could clean it up.” Newell says that the easier environmental problems have been dealt with already, and the problems she faces now in her business are the big problems involving more people, more money, and a bigger economic payoff. Facing these environmental problems, she remains optimistic. “We can incorporate safeguards and reduce the risk of exposure through careful evaluation and with the cooperation of state and federal agencies,” she says. “I’d like to optimize the land use. We should not be afraid of commerce on the river.” Some of EnviroNET’s upcoming projects include site assessment and remedial action plans for both the new bus station going in on the corner of Parking Lot C in Rock Island and for a new veterans’ housing project occupying three city blocks in Rock Island.
Stephen Dudzik
Founder and President, Process Automation Concepts, Ltd. Stephen Dudzik is a local business owner with a big goal: to make the Quad Cities known for shipping biodiesel refineries all over the world. “People understand Silicon Valley. Software comes from there,” he says. “Detroit – cars come from there. It would be nice if people thought biofuel – Quad Cities.” Founded in 1989, his engineering firm, Process Automation Concepts, specializes in providing engineering, design, and consulting in the process industry. He calls his company the “Google of engineering.” “We have all the cool guys, the cool tools,” he says.
GREEN BUSINESS
“
I t would be nice if people thought biofuel – Quad Cities.
”
Over the years, PAC has designed sixteen types of biofuel plants. In fact, in 2008 PAC designed the nation’s largest facility in Claypool, Indiana, a soybean-based biodiesel plant. Dudzik has built a small innovative team at PAC that uses technology from other industries and applies it in innovative ways to their business. He says process industry is one of the most poorly designed areas in the business, so the potential to provide innovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly solutions is great. And the application of biorefineries goes beyond fuel. Biorefineries refer to plants making any product that is replacing a product made from petroleum. Dudzik says, “People think of fuel, but they don’t think of the cosmetics, the food, the plastics, and all the other things that can be grown and produced versus using petroleum. Even pharmaceuticals.”
In his business, Dudzik often has to respond to client needs faster than other companies. He says, “We get called a lot like firefighters to be able to do things that conventional thinking says you can’t do.” When the H1N1 virus hit, Dudzik’s team was asked to find away to double the capacity of hand sanitizer production. Since many clients need quick turnaround times, PAC also refurbishes older equipment. Some equipment can take eight months to get if you want it new, so refurbishing helps accelerate the time tables while making a positive environmental impact. “We’re helping lower the carbon footprint by pulling things out of the landfill and refurbishing it,” Dudzik says. Dudzik has made significant investments in innovation through technology. His company owns 3-D laser scanning equipment that allows them to go to a facility for a day and scan the facility during a walk through to create a life size model with all the information they need. They also design facilities modular construction to be fabricated in a shop so that they are simply erected on site rather than constructed. All of these methods allow them to complete projects more efficiently and in short timeframes. The environmental impact of improving process industry is vast. Dudzik says, “You can save more energy, more money than any other business. A LEED certified school building can save a few thousand a year. If you improve a refinery, you save millions a year.” Dudzik says he’s struggled to get momentum with his goal of making the Quad Cities known for biodiesel refineries, but he’s still hoping to accomplish that goal in the future. “There are a lot of really good companies here who could produce so many of the components,” he says. Regardless of where the components are produced and the refineries are fabricated, however, the potential environmental impact of improving the process industry remains global.
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November/December/January 2012-13 | eddy Magazine
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PLANNING
PLANNING MATTERS
By Leslie Klipsch
As anyone who has ever arranged a vacation or undergone a home renovation can attest, making a plan and sticking to Noré Winter facilitates a planning session for Davenport’s it is no small East Village Master Plan. task. One can imagine then that when utilizing public space — Alan Carmen, City of Rock Island and entertaining the potential to impact thousands of people, a well-designed strategy is of the utmost importance. “If you don’t have the vision or ideals to strive for and, of course, the
“If you don’t have the vision or ideals to strive for and, of course, the wherewithal and commitment to implement a plan, then why bother?”
A
number of recent projects throughout the Quad Cities illustrate the importance and benefits of sound planning and exemplify how a good plan casts long-term vision, involves its users and considers the beauty and value of the natural landscape. Three projects currently in different stages of the planning process are the Riverfront Development Project in Moline, the Village of East Davenport Master Plan in Davenport, and the Rock Island Dock project at Schweibert Riverfront Park in Rock Island. The design of each holds great promise and opportunity for the Quad City community. CASTING A VISION, CREATING A PLAN It’s no surprise that even the best-laid plans do not unfold overnight. Rather, some take years to come to fruition, making long-term vision an integral part of city planning. The Rock Island Dock project, for instance, is the final stage of the Schwiebert Riverfront Park development along the Mississippi River. The dock, which would allow the public to dock watercraft and utilize the riverfront park as well as the amenities of downtown Rock Island, was incorporated into the original overall design of Schwiebert Riverfront Park, most of which was completed in 2010. However, funding to implement the public boat dock was unavailable at the time. Now that funds have been secured, planning for the public dock is once again underway, serving as an example of how a plan creates a long-range vision of what can be.
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wherewithal and commitment to implement a plan, then why bother?” asks Alan Carmen, planning and redevelopment administrator for the city of Rock Island. “Big plans or small plans, you need to have the vision and figure out how to get there. We had the broad, long-range vision of what could be. We have been striving to achieve that for years,” he says. Long-term planning has benefited the city of Moline as well. Janet Mathis, executive director of Renew Moline, Inc., a non-profit economic development organization devoted to the development of the city, agrees that good planning takes foresight. “The need to plan, to think ahead and to think about what could be is really important.” Since 1970, forty percent of Moline’s riverfront has been developed or redeveloped. Currently, the Riverfront Development Project Master Plan is underway as part of the Riverfront Renaissance. Over time, the development will add student and market-rate housing, public open space, retail shops and amenities—all of which will encompass and embrace the riverfront. “Moline has worked hard for over 30 years to have a plan and to work that plan toward the betterment of the community,” Mathis says. Integral to this process, she believes, has been the consistent involvement of each project’s potential users. MAKING USE OF USER INPUT City planners agree that community input is important when finalizing plans for development or redevelopment within a municipality. In fact, some would say that the users of a project are among its most important
PLANNING
(Above) Davenport City Council to receive an initial draft of the master plan in late November, 2012. (Left) Schwiebert Park showcases its urban beach, removable flood wall and one of two pavilions in the park.
designers. Because of this, cities and developers often solicit public input early on in the process. One of the facets of the Village of East Davenport Master Plan is to make public opinion a priority by actively engaging the community and providing opportunities to participate in hands-on planning activities. Matt Flynn, the senior planning manager of the planning and economic development department of the city of Davenport, believes that a good planning process has an educational component. “We have had well over 100 people involved in the Village of East Davenport Master Plan project. It gives everyone thinking about the future. Not everyone always has the same ideas, but in planning we are able to mold a collective vision for the future,” Flynn says. In the case of the Riverfront Development Project, Mathis says Renew Moline felt strongly about involving the community during the selection of a developer. Finalists made public presentations in August and a committee considered questions and comments offered by the public before making a final decision. Beyond expert opinion that is gathered and analyzed as a part of any project, Alan Carmen (Rock Island) agrees that it’s always helpful to involve the public and to take into account the perspective of residents. In the
case of the Rock Island Dock project the Boaters Advisory Committee, a cityappointed committee that represents boaters at Sunset Marina, did just that. In concert with other key players, the Boaters Advisory Committee was privy to design concepts early on and was able to offer a boaters’ perspective on function and amenities, influencing components of the final design. Resident users, of course, come in all shapes and sizes and planners look closely at user demographics before gathering input. Currently, a vision has been cast for Rock Island’s Martin Luther King Center Park and planners have turned to a unique sort of expert. “It’s very important to get the input of kids when you’re planning a park,” Carmen says with a laugh. All of this reflects what author Roberta Brandes Gratz writes in her book, The Living City: “The best experts in a city are its users. The vision for a place should come from the community up, not from City Hall down.” Kathy Wine, executive director of River Action, believes Gratz says it best and feels that involving users in the planning process creates a more balanced point of view of riverfront development. “Good design, economic feasibility, environmental sensitivity, provision of the maximum amount of public access to and along the riverfront, and participatory planning are part of that,” Wine says. THE MIGHTY RIVER AND THE MASTER PLAN Visionaries are motivated to make the best possible use of the unique natural resource the Quad Cities has immediate access to—the Mississippi River. Dreamers and planners alike agree that the potential of the river to enhance the quality of life in the QCA is something to be celebrated and taken seriously. > > > November/December/January 2012-13 | eddy Magazine
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PLANNING
According to Matt Flynn, many discussions have taken place regarding the relationship between the Village of East Davenport and the riverfront, highlighting how important the natural amenities are to the overall Master Plan. He believes that the community has a unique opportunity to connect the commercial nature of the Village of East Davenport and the natural beauty of the Mississippi riverfront. “The river, in some mysterious way, has a calming effect on people,” Flynn says. “The Village is a bustling, lively, commercial area with a lot of activity, but the water’s edge has a calming effect on people. That contrast is valuable.” Flynn looks forward to the possibility of the Lindsay Park Marina fostering a more recreational function as well. “There seems to be a sense that the marina is hands off,” he explains. “But if you’ve been to other marinas, you’ll see that people like to walk around and enjoy them. Operators are open to this and I think it has the potential to bring another level of activity that will help the Village overall.” This is just one facet of the redevelopment project that has surfaced during the planning stage.
“The natural setting, the environment, and natural habitats are what make riverfronts special,” says Kathy Wine, executive director of River Action. “…With the environmental plans incorporated in the very beginning to the action plans, there is nothing in this holistic approach that is missed.” Because the Mississippi River has multiple uses, it can add layers to the planning process. It’s a working river that has many industrial uses, but also a recreational component. In his many years of service at the city of Rock Island, Alan Carmen has found it very important to respect the balance of the river when building something new that will be yet another layer of activity, particularly because so many other things are going on at the same time.
EASY TO FIND. HARD TO RESIST.
Planners are recommending design guidelines for the Village of East Davenport.
The river also necessitates the consideration of potential flooding as well as best practices involving the natural environment—a factor that becomes an integral part of the planning process. Just as the river enhances the quality of its adjacent amenities, it can also prompt unexpected challenges along the way. For instance, the Rock Island Dock project is contending with the discovery of mussel beds native to the riverbed. In order to prevent the disturbance of a natural habitat, a specific mussel survey of the river bottom must take place. Ultimately, this could entail the relocation of mussels once construction gets underway. Not an easy task, says Carmen, considering that the mussels may need to be relocated by hand. Casting a vision, involving the surrounding community, moving mussels by hand. Such measures become an exercise in both flexibility and determination—important features of even the best-laid plans. As senior planning manager Matt Flynn says, a plan is a road map. When you have a thrilling destination in mind and you need to know exactly how to get there, it becomes obvious that thoughtful planning matters.
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EVENTS CALENDAR
November
LeClaire Trivia Nights
Saturday, November 10, 7 p.m., LeClaire Civic Center, LeClaire LeClaire Trivia Nights have raised over $90,000 for local non-profit organizations! Cost is $10 per person with tables up to 8 people each, $50 per table minimum. Everyone will be entered for door prizes. You may bring your own beer, wine, and snacks, but soda, water, and snacks will also be for sale. Everyone will be entered into door prize drawings. For more information, call (563) 505-6703.
Lighting on the Commons
Saturday, November 17, John Deere Commons, downtown Moline This is a free event for all to come and enjoy with wagon rides, kid crafts, holiday choirs, and fireworks! Free admission. For more information, go to LightingOnTheCommons.com.
23rd Annual Quad City Christmas Arts & Craft Fair
Friday-Sunday, November 23-25, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island Christmas will be here soon enough, so if you’re looking for something special and original, you don’t want to miss this. Over 180 handcrafted exhibitors, including demonstrations. Admission is free with a NEW unwrapped toy for Toys-For-Tots, or $4 for adults; kids 12 and under are free. For more information, email conradent@sbcglobal.net.
Environmental Book Club Quad City Arts Festival of Trees International Food and Wine Experience
Thursday, November 1, 6 p.m., River Music Experience, Davenport The 2nd Annual International Food and Wine Experience is back by popular demand. Space is limited. Tickets are $50 each or $90 per couple. Also enjoy music by Doc for a very special evening. Call (563) 3491870 for more information.
Make Friends with the Marsh
Saturday, November 3, 9 a.m.-Noon, Nahant Marsh, Davenport This is a general volunteer service day. Help us with various projects around the marsh. Come dressed in old clothing. For more information, call (563) 323-5196.
Muddy Boots Nature Club
November 16-25, RiverCenter, Davenport Usher in the season at the area’s most popular holiday event. Festival of Trees has raised over $4 million in support of local arts over a 25-year period. Featuring many attractions including original holiday decor designed by local designers and available for purchase, continual dance and musical performances, holiday Helium Balloon Parade, holiday gift shop, children’s activity center, Gingerbread Village, raffle prizes, and more! For more information, visit QuadCityArts.com/FestOfTrees.asp or call (309) 793-1213.
Tuesday, November 27, 7 p.m., River Action office, 822 E. River Drive, Davenport River Action’s book club meets monthly, and it’s open to everyone! In November, Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World, by Wade Davis, will be discussed. Go to RiverAction.org for more information or to be put on the e-mail list for notifications.
December
Wednesday, November 7, 3-4:30 p.m., Nahant Marsh, Davenport “Marshy Mammals” – in this session, we will learn all about beavers, river otters, minks, weasels, and muskrats! Ages 8-12. Cost $3. Please come appropriately dressed for the weather as most sessions take place outside. For more information, call (563) 323-5196.
River Action’s Environmental Book Club
Be sure to check on line this month and vote for which books you’d like to read and discuss at River Action’s Environmental Book Club! The book club is open to the public and meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, January-November, at 7 p.m., River Action office. For more information, visit RiverAction.org or call (563) 322-2969.
Winter Fest and Crafts Fair Holiday Pops
Saturday, November 17, 7:30 p.m., i Wireless Center, Moline Holiday Pops series featuring Mark Wood, founding member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Don’t miss this electrifying holiday tradition! For more information, call (563) 322-0931.
Saturday, December 1, 8 a.m.-Noon, Nahant Marsh, Davenport Join us for our 2nd Annual Winter Fest and Crafts Fair. Classes include wreath-making, paper-making, and a winter hike. Cost for class and materials is $5. All day FREE events include Miss Effie’s crafts, marsh art for sale, DIY craft station, and baked goods. Please call by November 26th to register for classes. For more information, call (563) 323-5196.
November/December/January 2012-13 | eddy Magazine
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EVENTS CALENDAR
Gallery Hop!
Friday, December 7, Rock Island Art & Entertainment District, Rock Island An arts tour downtown Rock Island, showcasing local and regional artists in various galleries, restaurants, and hot spots. Find unique art pieces in jewelry, photography, woodwork, glass, painting, and sculpture, and performance art will be featured. For more information, go to RIDistrict.com.
Christmas in the Village
Friday-Saturday, December 7-8, Village of East Davenport Enjoy family time with Santa Claus, Scrooge, living windows, carolers, and musicians throughout the village. There will be two horse-drawn wagon rides, and live music in various shops. Friday and Saturday night will feature a live nativity. “Winter Sparkle� Fireworks Saturday at 9 p.m. Great in-store specials! For more information, visit VillageOfEastDavenport.com.
January
Bald Eagle Days
Friday-Sunday, January 4-6, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island Shows include Birds of Prey, Niabi Zoo Exotic Animals, Pella Wildlife Company, 20-foot Climbing Tower, and over 100 display booths, and more. Adults $5, kids $1, kids under 6 years free. For more information, call (309) 788-5912.
Historic Clock Tower/Eagle Watch Tours
Saturdays and Sundays, Jan 14-Feb 12, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Mississippi River Visitor Center, Arsenal Island These are combination Eagle Watch and Historic Clock Tower tours beginning at the Mississippi River Visitor Center. Participants must be able to climb 12 flights of stairs at a moderate/easy pace. Each Clock Tower/ Eagle Watch Tour will include information about the American Bald Eagle and the Historic Clock Tower. Spotting scopes are provided to aid in viewing bald eagles. It is suggested that you bring your own pair of binoculars for better viewing. Reservations are recommended, as group size is limited. Tours will last 75-90 minutes. For reservations or more information, please contact the Visitor Center Staff at (309) 794-5338.
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eddy Magazine
| www.riveraction.org
Winter Sunset Hike
Wednesday, January 16, 4-5pm, Nahant Marsh, Davenport Come explore winter at Nahant Marsh. The hike will take place during sunset and will be a great time to see wildlife. Bring a camera if you wish. Cost is $5 per person. Please call (563) 323-5196 to register or email nahantmarsh@eicc.edu.
Winter Morning Hike
Saturday, January 19, 9-10am, Nahant Marsh, Davenport Come explore winter at Nahant Marsh. Bring a camera if you wish. Cost is $5 per person. Please call (563) 323-5196 to register or email nahantmarsh@eicc.edu.
JOIN learn
engage River Action is dedicated to connecting people to the river. Our supporters help us to improve the quality of water that flows down the river. They help us to instill a love of the river through encouraging participation in many activities that involve the river. Plus, River Action encourages educational programs that help our residents better understand river related issues and concerns.
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JOIN TODAY AT www.riveraction.org or send check to 822 E. River Drive Davenport, IA 52803
celebrate A membership to River Action offers you an opportunity to really make a difference in our community. With each membership you will receive discounts on educational programs as well as your continued FREE subscription to eddy Magazine BUSINESS MEMBER: $50 INDIVIDUAL MEMBER: $25 Go to www.riveraction.org and click on membership!
563-322-2969
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