Community Briefs

The Church in Riverside will be serving a Thanksgiving treat to all who would like to enjoy a complimentary meal. The youth will be preparing and serving a “Pilgrim Stew” at the Community Center in Riverside Sunday, November 20, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Menu includes Pilgrim Stew, cornbread, sandwiches, dessert, tea and lemonade. Call Patrick Leonard at (319)656-2827 for more details.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will hold a blood drive at the Riverside Elementary School, 220 Schnoebelen Street Thursday, November 10, from 3 to 6 p.m.  To make an appointment, call Kristen Bell, 319-648-5156.

The Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) board meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 16, at the Riverside Casino.

The Riverside Area Community Club (RACC) annual dinner and membership meeting is November 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the meeting room of Robert’s Buffet in the Riverside Casino. Sami Ahmad Khan of India is the featured speakers and other speakers are the RACC president, Riverside mayor and Riverside History Center – Voyage Home Museum president.

Hospice of Washington County will hold a Community Memorial Service at 4 p.m.,  Sunday, November 20,  at the United Presbyterian Church, 209 East Main Street in Washington. This  memorial service is to honor community members from Henry, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Louisa and Washington counties that  passed away during the last year, including November and December of 2010.
For more information or to submit photos or other personal information for use in the memorial video tribute contact Robyn Harvey-Smith at Hospice of Washington County at 319-653-7321 or stop by the office during normal office hours.
All photos and information for the video tribute should be submitted on or before November 11, 2011. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for photos to be returned or you may pick them up at the event or at the Hospice office following November 21.

Underground Railroad Exhibit displayed at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
Before the Civil War, men, women, and children seeking to escape slavery in the South often sought refuge among Northern abolitionists in Cedar County, Iowa. “Cedar County, Iowa: A Door to Freedom”, an exhibit on the Underground Railroad, is on display at the Visitor Center of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit was produced by a partnership of the National Park Service and the University of Iowa Museum Studies Program.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space.

The Riverside Community Blood Drive is Thursday, January 15, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Trinity United Methodist Church, 11 East Second Street, Riverside.
To donate, call Terry Philips at 319-648-2028 or 319-430-8536. Donors who last gave blood on or before November 20, 2008, are eligible.
Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that only takes about an hour. Donors must be at least 16 years old, in good health, and weigh at least 110 pounds. A Blood Donor card or other photo identification is required to donate. Donors who are 16 years old must present a signed parental consent form available from the Blood Center or for download from www.bloodcenter.org. Controlled high blood pressure and diabetics are acceptable.
The blood drive is provided by the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which is the exclusive blood provider to Washington County Hospitals and Clinics.