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GIRL SCOUTS’ LEMON COOKIES ARE SAFE HERE

Go ahead and enjoy Lemonades Girl Scout Cookies being sold by Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois. They’re totally safe to eat.

The lemon-flavored cookies being sold locally are not affected by reports of returns being requested by another baker of Girl Scout Cookies.

Lemonades are manufactured by ABC Bakers. Cookies of various lot numbers being requested to be returned are made by Little Brownie Bakers, another approved Girl Scout Cookies baker. Little Brownie Bakers’ Lemon Chalet Cremes have been affected by an oil rancidity issue, that while renders an issue with the smell of the product; it remains safe to be consumed.

ABC Bakers regularly tests their cookies and have not noticed similar problems nor do they expect similar issues with any of the products that they manufacture for Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois. None of the products being produced by ABC Bakers are involved with the recent problems experienced by Little Brownie Bakers.

GIRL SCOUTS BRING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SHAWN JOHNSON

Shawn Johnson, Iowa’s young Gold Medal Olympian, is coming to the Cedar Valley to talk with girls about the importance of character.

The late afternoon and evening event is set for Thursday, March 25th at the University of Northern Iowa’s McLeod Center in Cedar Falls . The evening is hosted by Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois.

Johnson will speak at 7 p.m. and will talk about the Six Pillars of Character taught in schools and the Girl Scouts mission of Courage, Confidence and Character. She’ll take questions from the audience, too, and will share her Olympic experiences.

Prior to Johnson’s talk, doors will open at 5 p.m. for an open house of vendors with interactive activities and booths. Food concessions will be available.

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Monday, Feb. 1st at UNI’s McLeod Center. They also will be available online at http://www.unitix.uni.edu or by calling the McLeod Center at 319-273-4TIX.

HACAP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2009 for the 2009-2010 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Iowa Department of Human Rights/Department of Community Action Agencies, and has been established to help qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs.

Applicants can request an application in the mail or set up an appointment by calling the United Way 2-1-1 help line or toll free 1-866-469-211-2211, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Applicants will need to furnish the following:

Social Security number
A copy of their most recent heating and electric bill
Proof of all household members’ gross income for the past 3 months or calendar year

LIHEAP is not designed to pay a household’s total energy costs. LIHEAP will provide supplemental assistance based on several factors. Those factors include total household income, household size, dwelling type, and type of heating fuel, among others.

For more information and eligibility requirements, and to download an application, visit www.hacap.org.

CEDAR RAPIDS ANNUAL SPRING COIN SHOW

Cedar Rapids Annual Coin Show will be held Sunday, March 14, 2010 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at Elk’s Lodge 801 33rd Avenue SW Cedar Rapids. Admission and parking is FREE. Buy and sell US and foreign coins, currency and ephemera. For more information, contact Dave Vaughn at 319-366-5462 or crcollectibles@yahoo.com.

CULTURALCORRIDOR.ORG

Stop by Culturalcorridor.org and find information on events, activities and attractions that range from what's happening tomorrow, to what's happening six months from now.

Culturalcorridor.org is provided by the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance whose 100+ members represent the spectrum of arts/culture organizations in the Amanas, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City/Coralville, Hiawatha, Marion, Mount Vernon, North Liberty, West Branch, West Liberty and beyond.

Culturalcorridor.org has been developed to provide you with a comprehensive listing of all upcoming area events and activities. They are your "one-stop-shop" for what's happening this week, this month and this year. Stop by today!

JOIN TEAM IN TRAINING AND HELP SAVE LIVES, ONE MILE AT A TIME

Want to get in shape, make lasting friendships and help save lives? The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training® (TNT) is recruiting participants to give help and hope to thousands of blood cancer patients by raising funds as they achieve their dream of completing a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile (century) bicycle ride or hike adventure.

TNT, the world’s first, largest and best charity sports training program, provides four to five months of personalized fitness training by certified coaches and the opportunity to be part of a supportive team. Participants come from all walks of life—from novice to seasoned athlete.

The Iowa Chapter is recruiting teams now to participate in summer events, such as BMO Vancouver Marathon & Half Marathon, Rock N Roll San Diego Marathon & Half Marathon, America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the Hy-Vee Triathlon.

In addition to weekly training sessions under the guidance of a certified coach, TNT offers clinics on nutrition, equipment, injury prevention and safety. Participants are also given tools to help them fundraise. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society arranges airfare and lodging to send participants to the event of their choice.

For additional TNT information, call the Iowa Chapter at 800-347-1074; or visit: www.teamintraining.org.

5TH ANNUAL HAWKEYE SWING FESTIVAL

This year’s festival is April 9th, 10th and 11th in the Iowa Memorial Union Second Floor Ballroom. Enjoy live music Friday Night from the Solomon Douglas Swingtet and Saturday Night; Hot Swing Combo, Davina and the Vagabonds.

Dancers of all ages and all abilities levels are welcome to participate. Partners are not required. There will be 16 of the best instructors in the country teaching classes in Lindy Hop, Charleston, Shag, Balboa, West African Dance, Hip Hop and more. Some of the instructors have been featured on shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

The Hawkeye Swing Festival is also home to the largest Amateur swing dance competition in the Midwest. Dancers from all over the country will come to compete in four dance divisions: Any Swing Goes, Slow Lindy/Blues, Jack and Jill, and Team. The Team competition is the highlight of the weekend as teams battle it out for the Cutters' Cup. Weekend passes range from $25- $110. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.hawkeyeswingfestival.com.

ANNUAL CHILI AND POTATO SUPPER

The Millersburg Volunteer Fire Department’s will be holding their annual Chili and Potato Soup Supper on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Millersburg City Hall/Fire Station. Proceeds from the supper will go toward the purchase of new bucker gear for the firemen.

LOVE IS A HUG/KIDS CLUB LEARNING CENTER FUNDRAISER

Love is a Hug/Kids Club Learning Center is holding a fundraiser Carnival and Raffle Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at North Cedar Elementary School 609 125th Street Mechanicsville, Iowa. There’ll be food and games, and raffles prizes like: Air Tran Airway tickets for two, a Chicago Getaway, a Wisconsin Getaway and many more. Money raised will benefit the Learning Center and new infant daycare program, and will be used to purchase supplies and learning material for the children.

1ST ANNUAL JOHNSON COUNTY OLDER AMERICANS WELLNESS FAIR SEEKS SPONSORS

A collaboration of agencies, organizations and businesses serving elders in Iowa City and Johnson County have been actively organizing the first annual Johnson County Older Americans Wellness Fair to be held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds on April 30th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The Older Americans Wellness Fair is intended to orient older adults and their families to issues that affect their health and to connect them with any services they need. We are inviting businesses and non-profit organizations to share their information. We are also interested in offering numerous health screenings including: vision, hearing, skin cancer, balance, fitness and massage.

Education opportunities will be offered each half hour with the exception of a “Car Fit” event which will take place over the entire duration of the fair. Organizers of the fair are inviting qualified speakers to conduct seminars on subjects to include but not limited to: Medicare/Medicaid, Veterans benefits, long term care planning, planning for transitions (working to retirement/home to care community), planning for aging, fall prevention, prescription drugs and their interactions/effects, and when to stop driving. Speakers are asked to provide a display at the fair. Various sponsorship levels, screening and education opportunities are available.

For more information contact Michelle Buhman at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center at 319-356-5224 or michelle-buhman@iowa-city.org or Kate Skapyak at 319-325-4964 or kate.skapyak@enrichinghappiness.com.