Blues legend Robert Cray is set to rock the Englert Theatre on May 31st

On Tuesday May 31st, the Englert Theatre is proud to welcome legendary blues artist Robert Cray and his band back to the stage, four years after performing on the same stage in 2008.

As a five-time Grammy award winning, singer/songwriting guitar legend, it would be hard to overstate Robert Cray’s impact on rock, rhythm & blues. He is considered “one of the greatest guitarists of his generation” (Music Critic, Steve Matteo) and since his 1980 album debut Who’s Been Talkin, Cray has been inviting audiences along on his epic musical journey – breaking through the pop ceiling with his gate crashing/blues-edged trademark sound, distinct playing style and daring innovations.

“Robert Cray is not only making great music,” says Guitar Player Magazine, “he’s making history. With a few exceptions… it used to be that there was the blues and there were the masses and never the twain shall meet. But Cray, who obviously is respected in blues circles, is a press darling and crossover smash. ”

Along with his Grammy wins, Robert Cray has released twenty award winning multi-platinum albums, received 15 Grammy nominations, and was recently inducted into the 2011 Blues Hall of Fame. Cray has performed thousands of sold-out shows worldwide with The Robert Cray Band featuring longtime (and Robert’s original) bassist Richard Cousins, keyboardist and band cornerstone since 1989 Jim Pugh, and drummer Anthony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Taj Mahal).

He has performed alongside blues titans Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and B.B. King- touring extensively with both Collins and Clapton and has his own line of Fender Signature Guitars. Cray has also worked with legends Tina Turner, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt, friend and fellow guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and Willie Dixon, to name a few and his songs have been covered by many including, BB King, Clapton, and Tony Bennett. Featured in Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues series, Cray has also appeared in Tina Turner’s TV special Break Every Rule, the Chuck Berry tribute Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, and the Rolling Stones’ pay-per-view video Voodoo Lounge.

Reserved seating tickets are available at the Englert Box Office as well as online. For more information, please visit: http://englert.org/event_details.php?id=723

Three games await the Iowa baseball team this weekend

The Iowa Hawkeye baseball team is set for a busy weekend with three games in three days, all against Big Ten rival Penn State.  The Iowa Athletic Department is offering fan incentives for each of the three games.

• Friday (4/20) @ 6:05 p.m.  - Hawkeye watches will be given to the first 100 fans
• Saturday (4/21) @ 1:05 p.m. – Wear GOLD, Play baseball bingo, Gold pom-poms given out to fans
• Sunday (4/22) @ 12:05 p.m. – Hawkeye Mario hats given to the first 75 kids

For all three games, admission is $3 for adults and free for children under 18. For those unable to attend, all of the action from Friday and Sunday’s games will be broadcast on AM-1360 KMJM. Furthermore, Gametracker will be available all weekend on http://www.hawkeyesports.com/.

This iconic photo of Dan Gable served as the model for the bronze statue to be unveiled at Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Wednesday April 18 will be greeted with the unveiling of a seven-foot statue paying tribute to legendary Iowa Wrestling coach Dan Gable. The structure will be a permanent fixture outside of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m. just outside the main entrance to the arena. Following the dedication, a reception will be held in the Feller Club Room in the Dale and Marilyn Howard Family Pavilion.

This special ceremony appropriately comes three days before Carver-Hawkeye Arena will host the Olympic Wresting Trials.

Larry Nowlan is sculpting the seven-foot statue. Nowlan is the same artist commissioned by the UI to create the Nile Kinnick statue in the Krause Family Plaza, the bronze Nile Kinnick display located in Kinnick Stadium’s south concourse, and the butterfly stroke bronze relief inside the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

As the University of Iowa’s all-time winningest wrestling coach, Gable compiled a career record of 355-21-5 from 1976-1997. He coached 152 All-Americans, 106 Big Ten Champions, 45 national champions, and 10 Olympians — including four gold, one silver and three bronze medalists. As a competitor, Gable won the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal without surrendering a single point.

In addition to assisting with Iowa athletics, Gable aids the University in fundraising efforts to promote the sport of wrestling worldwide. He also coaches potential Olympic wrestlers in the local sports club, gives motivational and performance speeches nationwide and does color commentary for televised collegiate wrestling events.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.hawkeyesports.com/

A brand new music festival is set to take place in neighboring Minnesota this summer

Residents of Iowa City looking for an exciting music festival opportunity in the Midwest are in luck! On Tuesday April 10th, Live Nation and the city of St. Paul Minnesota announced the debut of River’s Edge Music Festival, a two-day event showcasing over 30 artists on June 23 and 24 on historic Harriet Island. This inaugural event is the first of a five-year agreement between St. Paul and Live Nation designed to establish a world-class destination festival in the Twin Cities.

A broad range of musical talent will be on display for this two-day event across four stages. Headliners for this year’s festival are American rock group Tool, and Dave Mathews Band. Other bands that will be featured include The Flaming Lips, Brand New, and Sublime with Rome.

Looking ahead to the future, it is being planned that next year the festival will extend to a three-day rock event (with an electronica component) and a country festival the following weekend. Live Nation has exclusive rights to Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts. As a result, all three of these artists are likely to be involved in River’s Edge 2013.

As for this year, tickets went on sale Friday April 13 on http://www.riversedgemusicfest.com/.

Mauricio Lasansky, world renowned artist and former UI professor, passed away on Monday in his home in Iowa City

World renowned artist and founder of what many consider to be the finest printmaking program in the world, Mauricio Lasansky passed away on Monday in his home in Iowa City. He was 97.

Internationally famous for “Nazi Drawings, a collection of drawings depicting the horrors of Nazism, Lasansky was born in Argentina in 1914 and arrived in the United States in 1943 with the help of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Former UI president Virgil M. Hancher brought him in to establish the University’s printmaking program. Lasansky served many years as professor of art and art history at the University of Iowa.

Regarding his collection “Nazi Drawings,” Lasansky wrote “dignity is not a symbol bestowed on man, nor does the word itself possess force. Man’s dignity is a force and the only modus vivendi by which man and his history survive.”

A German-style brewery in northeast Iowa is expanding into Coralville’s Iowa River Landing, the company announced Wednesday.

Backpocket Brewery, which has brewing operations at Old Man River Restaurant & Brewery in McGregor, plans to open a new production facility at the IRL next summer, Backpocket Brewery Brew-master Jacob Simmons said.

“We’re very excited about the idea of locating here,” Simmons said.

The Old Man River brewpub opened about three years ago and has been distributing kegs in Iowa for about a year and a half.

Simmons said a lack of available land at their existing site forced them to look elsewhere in Eastern Iowa for a new location.

“We’re located between three bluffs and a river. There’s literally no room for expansion,” Simmons said. “The Iowa City area was selected because of its demographics and its logistical advantages.”

Several Backpocket beers already have been served in local restaurants and bars under the Old Man River label, including the company’s most popular brew, the Slingshot Dunkel, a German dark lager.

He said Backpocket’s German-style beers make the brewery stand out among its competitors.

“There’s certainly a level of German inspiration that goes through all our beers, which is unusual in the American craft world where brews are typically England-inspired,” Simmons said.

When the brewery decided to expand, it brought on new investors and split into two companies, Backpocket Brewery and Old Man River Restaurant & Brewery, Simmons said.

Simmons said the 25,000-barrel-per-year location in Coralville will be among the largest of Iowa’s microbreweries and will employ between five and 10 people in the brewing operation and about 10 employees in the tasting room.

Simmons declined to say how much the new operation would cost but called it a “significant investment” for the company.

Coralville changed its zoning ordinance last month to allow brewpubs in the IRL district.

Mayor Jim Fausett said the brewery is a welcome and exciting addition to the area.

“I think it will be a good addition to not only the River Landing but also the area,” Fausett said.

The brewery is one of several projects under way at the IRL.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is in the process of constructing a new ambulatory clinic and a Homewood Suites extended stay hotel is planned for the area.

Fausett said he’s optimistic the brewery will help entice other businesses to locate there.

“No one wants to be first, so if we get a few businesses like this, a few others will want to sign on,” Fausett said. “Everyone wants to come, but they want us to get more development first.”

Visit the brewery’s website at www.backpocketbrewing.com

via I.C. Press Citizen 6/30/11Written by
Emily Schettler

The university’s latest report detailing proposed Hancher costs identified four facilities as comparisons for a new Hancher, and U of I officials have traveled as far as California to visit sites in person.

“We won’t see a copy of any of those, but there are some parallels that can be drawn,” said Rod Lehnertz, U of I director of planning, design and construction.

Lehnertz said the projects included in the report offer a point of reference for scale and genre that are helpful in anticipating costs but do not reflect a visual or architectural vision for Hancher.

Still, the future Hancher likely will carry today’s modern touches, he said.

Nearly three years have passed since Hancher was permanently closed by the 2008 flood, and some leaders, donors and other members of the public have grown frustrated with the slow-moving recovery of the beloved home for plays and musical performances, members of the Iowa Board of Regents have said.

The report submitted in April to the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers a glimpse at U of I officials’ thinking about a new Hancher.

“Everyone can be assured we will see an original and difference-making piece of architecture,” Lehnertz said.

The report includes the planned Atlanta Symphony Center, which features sweeping curved shells of white concrete and expanses of glass and steel decorating the outside of the building. That project has been estimated at $300 million, although the U of I’s report identifies $187 million in projected construction costs.

The Denver Art Museum features dramatic angles that point toward the skyline. The report also includes the 2005 renovation of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.

The U of I estimates the Hancher project could cost as much as $217 million. The school still is awaiting approval of the costs, which have increased significantly from a previous estimate from FEMA.

Lehnertz has said U of I officials are hopeful about bringing an initial bid to proceed with planning to the regents in the fall. School officials have said from that point in the process, it could be another five years before the project is completed.

U of I officials have visited several facilities for guidance on the Hancher project, including the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wis.; several large and small facilities in Minneapolis, including the Guthrie Theater, the Walker Art Center and the Ford Center; the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Mesa, Calif.; and the Disney Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles.

Lehnertz said the new Hancher will be a memorable building that is harmonious with its surroundings on the west bank of the Iowa River.

Press Citizen • May 8, 2011

When the Louisiana governor’s office contacted HESCO Bastion USA to provide the barriers to guard against flooding, the company didn’t have enough barriers on hand to fulfill the request. HESCO contacted UI, which has kept 15,000 feet of the barriers on hand since the 2008 floods.

HESCO then plans to replenish UI’s stock of barriers with new barriers in two or three weeks and will reimburse UI the cost for sending its barriers to Louisiana.

In a statement, UI officials said the risk of spring flooding in Iowa City is low, based on reservoir levels, rain projections and consultations with university, local and state officials.

HESCO barriers are essentially large boxes, made of a collapsible wire-mesh frame with a waterproof lining. The frames are assembled on site and left open at the top, where workers can fill them with dirt or gravel using earth-moving equipment. They can be assembled faster and with fewer people and are more structurally sound than sandbags. The barriers are also used to build defensive walls by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

the Press Citizen • May 6, 2011

The Iowa City Press-Citizen is reporting that the gift comes from Jerre (JEHR’-ee) and Mary Joy Stead (stehd), of Scottsdale, Ariz. They are natives of Maquoketa (muh-KOHK’-ih-tuh) who attended the university and have been major benefactors. In 2003, the couple gave $25 million to the university’s business college.

Jerre Stead is chairman and CEO of IHS Inc., a global information company. Mary Jo Stead has served on the foundation board of directors since 1999.

Sheila Baldwin, of the UI Foundation, says the $10 million is the largest donation yet to UI for pediatric medicine.

Associated Press • May 5, 2011

GEICO is the third largest private passenger automobile insurer in the United States.

“Our office in Coralville employs some 350 associates and we’re growing just like the rest of
the company,” said Tammy Moore, director of sales and service for GEICO’s office in
Coralville. “We are always looking for talented employees who want career opportunities and
advancement.”
Candidates for these GEICO jobs should have excellent written and oral communications
skills in order to serve GEICO customers clearly and quickly. In addition, GEICO needs
applicants with strong multi-tasking skills, computer skills and a motivated and energetic attitude. Prior customer service  experience and demonstrated job stability are also highly valued.

“GEICO has a tremendous amount to offer new employees; we’re a fast-growing company and there are a lot of opportunities for promotion. If you’re looking for a career, not just a job, this is the place for you,” said Andrew Vaughn, human resources supervisor in Coralville.

All of GEICO’s associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the Total Rewards Program, a comprehensive benefits program that includes everything from health care to retirement to job training.

Interested in applying for a job? Potential job applicants are invited to go to the careers page on GEICO’s website to learnmore about the many positions available and apply for jobs.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. The company is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. GEICO handles auto insurance coverage for 10 million private passenger  auto policies and insures more than 16 million vehicles.

In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and  mobile homes. Coverage for life, boats, homes and apartments is available through the GEICO Insurance Agency. Commercial  auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.
As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best
Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys.

For more information, go to

http://www.geico.com.