Musings from week No. 1 of cabin fever when I'm convalescing at home while snow swirls outside and friends and family members are sending messages from Tucson, the Florida Keys and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. more

A community forum 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, at Davenport West High School auditorium will focus on school violence and the role of unrestricted access to weapons. more

We felt we had arrived, the small staff of the five-year-old NSP, when the four of us – Helen, Rosalie, Lora and I – moved into our first "real" office one September day in 1973. Until then, we had made do from our homes and limited space in two locations in downtown Eldridge, connected only by a telephone and neither large enough to turn around. more

Who says you can’t go home again? more

Jan. 25, 1984: The Park View Owners Association and volunteer organizations gifted the North Scott School District a blacktopped basketball court at Neil Armstrong Elementary School. The Owners Association pledged $4,500 for blacktopping, with an additional $1,500 to come through fundraisers at Biddy Basketball games. The Park View Jaycees said they would also kick in if fundraising fell short. more

Davenport Republicans joined party members in McCausland, Princeton, Walcott and LeClaire to drive former President Donald Trump’s domination of Scott County’s Jan. 15 caucuses. more

Jan. 30, 19741: The North Scott School Board heard a preliminary proposal for a six-classroom elementary school to be constructed in Park View. The 6,000 square foot building was suggested to help reduce overcrowding at the existing elementary schools. The proposal suggested a possible lease agreement, where another party would pay for construction and the district would rent the property. more

I was surprised to read recently that the city of Eldridge is receiving proposals for civil engineering services. The engineer they had – Greg Schaapveld with Shive-Hattery – in my book, was darned good. I base this not only on personal friendship through Rotary, but results. Greg, of Park View, is a guy who clearly knows what he's doing and applies the oid adage, "measure twice, cut once." more

In 1969, a pioneering initiative took root in the Davenport-Bettendorf area, shaping the local landscape of civic engagement and discourse for decades to come. The Legislative Forum, an event that transcended political affiliations, owes its inception to Mary Ross, then the President of the Davenport-Bettendorf Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a dedicated member of the League of Women Voters. Since its humble beginnings, the forum has evolved into a testament to the community's commitment to open dialogue and informed citizenship. more

For 32 years, from 1971-2003, I was The NSP's reporter at almost every school board meeting. During that time, I observed who were the leaders, the followers and just a few who were in it for the glory. The common denominator, however, was that decisions were made in support of "what's good for kids." more

This one hurts. more

Feb. 10, 1999: The North Scott School District formed a Y2K committee to study whether computer systems would need to be upgraded in order to properly function starting Jan. 1, 2000. more

Feb. 13, 1974: The North Scott wrestling team would compete in the sectional tournament in the AAA class – the largest in the state –for the first time. The tournament would be held at Bettendorf High School, with Davenport West and Davenport Central also competing. more

Feb. 22, 1984: Students at John Glenn Elementary School were enjoying working on the new school computer. It was purchased for $3,000 with funds raised by the PTO at the recent school carnival and raffle. more

Congratulations, readers! more

Back in January, I bought tickets the first day they were available for the Feb. 14 Broadway production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and the pre-show buffet at the Adler in downtown Davenport. more

Feb. 27, 1974: An effort was underway to establish an ambulance service in Eldridge, the city council learned. The proposed service would be part of a countywide network, including the LeClaire Ambulance and newly established services in Buffalo and Durant. Areas outside of Davenport were currently serviced by a private company, M&M Ambulance Service. Mike Hunt of LeClaire showed the council an outline of a program that would provide ambulance service to all Scott County residents in a maximum 15-minute response time. more

If you were asked to write a 500-word essay about our hometown, Eldridge, what would you say? Perhaps something like this: more

March 6, 1974: The North Scott School District purchased 13 acres of land in Park View for $26,000. While the site had been eyed for an elementary school in the past, the land purchase did not guarantee a school would be built there. Any construction would require a bond referendum. more

Four years ago this week, on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, voters of Eldridge and the North Scott School District, in separate measures, gave thumbs up to funding a YMCA in Eldridge. The taxpayers would build it, and the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley would run it. more