- Wheelan-Presley funeral home and crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT, has been serving Quad City families since 1889.

They now have livestream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or Memorial service.

- At IHMVCU, We've always been here for you.

You are, and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial and physical health, and we are here.

IHMVCU is a proud supporter of WQPT.

- An infrastructure bill.

What will it do for the rails?

Plus the end of polio, one group's contribution, and touring an amazing home with a rich history in the cities.

(upbeat music) Congress dodged a bullet by passing an extension to the debt ceiling, so take that off the table.

Now the House and Senate face the tough task of finding bipartisan support on an infrastructure plan.

Democrats say it's time to go bold to truly bring America's transportation information and infrastructure system into the 21st century.

Republicans say vital improvements are needed, and investments need to be made, but not at a multi-trillion dollar expense that's passed down to future generations.

In the cities, bridges and roads would get attention, but, what about something else that's been a dream for some?

Is this the next best chance to bring pasture rail to the cities?

We talked with the executive director of the High-Speed Rail Alliance, Richard Harnish from his offices in Chicago.

When you get this infrastructure bill, can we afford passenger rail?

- We can cannot afford not to do passenger rail.

Now we have really disconnected ourselves by focusing on making every, making everyone drive.

It's resulted in an incredibly expensive system to operate, and is really leading to a removal of wealth from the country.

So if we want to reconnect rural areas to our urban areas, if we want people to have stronger relationships with families, if we want people to have better economic opportunities, we have to build high quality passenger trains.

- Now, we have been in the process as you well know in the Quad Cities, there's a large group of people who want to see passenger rail come from Chicago to Moline.

It's been almost fits and staggered to get there.

It's been a long process.

Are you confident it's going to happen?

- You know, what needs to happen is the voters in Moline and the other cloud cities on the Illinois side, really need to be very vocal and say, it's time to get this train moving.

And we want a high quality train.

We want it, the auto competitive.

We want to be frequent, but most importantly, we want it running soon.

And if enough people make that clear down in Springfield, it will certainly happen.

- I think a lot of the critics would point out that rail doesn't seem to be self-sustaining.

You can talk about the Northeast Corridor, where we have a huge population between Washington DC, New York and Boston, of course, but elsewhere, it's not as self-sustaining and it always requires more government money.

- I'm sorry, are you talking about the highway network or the airport network?

Right?

We have a system, transportation system, that requires huge sums of local state and federal money.

And railroads would be a more efficient way to spend that money.

- Let's talk about the president that we have right now, because there cannot be a more friendly rail president than Joe Biden.

I mean, are you confident with this a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that this is the best time, that in a long time, and you've been at this since 1993 when you created the high rail, High-Speed Rail Alliance, that this is your best opportunity to expand rail, passenger rail in U.S.?

- So we have a fantastic opportunity to expand passenger rail all across the country, but, you know, Illinois is very well poised to take advantage of that and get better connections to Moline.

Get the project that we've got started, finished, get it expanded to the next level.

We have a fantastic opportunity people need to see.

- The key is the rail, right?

I mean, the key is to modernize the actual rail system, because I know that it's been delayed on the Northeast Corridor.

And I think two of the reasons was that the track is a little too curvy in some areas for high speed rail.

And also because of that, the electrical connections that are needed, didn't quite match up technically right now.

But they think that they've got that solved and it's going to move forward with hopefully that high-speed rail coming in 2022.

That seems to really be the thing is to get the technology right, and to actually improve upon the rails that we already have.

- So I want to be clear, Moline would not have high speed rail in the traditional sense.

- [Jim Mertens] Absolutely, right.

- It would be part of a much larger network.

You know, Egypt has high speed trains, I'm sorry, Egypt is building.

Saudi Arabia, has them.

Morocco has them.

In addition to all of the places that people mentioned to me, this is a very well-established technology.

It's a matter of making the political commitment to make it work.

And that's why the voters need to be so aggressive about telling Springfield that we need to make this work.

- Yeah, because when you're talking about high speed rail, I mean, we're talking about some of the rail systems, particularly in urban areas, but it would be whipping left and right as quickly as possible up to 165 miles per hour was the speed of the tests that were being done in Colorado is, and it, you know, they had hoped for 160 miles and they were pretty pleased at 165.

Years talking about, cause let's be honest, it is two different baskets.

High-speed rail and passenger rail.

- They're two different baskets, but they work together.

You can't do one without the other.

So, high-speed rail is the main trunk lines and in the Illinois case, that probably goes Chicago to St. Louis and then St. Louis to Kansas City, and then you've got shared use lines where you're improving rate service at the same time that you're implementing passenger rail service.

And that's the bulk of the system and what should be happening with Moline.

And not only making passenger trains work from Iowa City to Moline, to Chicago, but really improving the freight services as well.

That's what we need to do.

- When you're thinking of a passenger rail, you kind of think of, you know, the old times, forty, fifty, years ago, it really is different.

I mean, the pictures inside some of these new trains, very modern, very clean, very high tech.

- Absolutely.

So, you know, it's around the world, passenger trains have been evolving steadily, constant improvements, constant improvements.

The problem with us is, in the U.S., is much of our thinking is still stuck in the 50's.

And so we've got to get out of that mindset and get into the modern mindset and get those really cool trains that they have.

You know, in China, trains every day on the hour, leave Beijing and they travel at 220 miles an hour to Shanghai.

That's four and a half hours.

This is Chicago to New York four and a half hours.

And you can catch one of those trains every hour.

That's where we should be.

- [Jim Mertens] And you're also saying that it's better for the environment.

I mean, obviously combustion vehicles have really, you know, hurt the environment and there's such a huge move to go to electric vehicles.

The trains have really evolved as well.

- Yeah, yeah.

You know, the issue with the car is that they're big and they're heavy.

So that makes it incredibly inefficient because they're big and you've got one car holding one or two people, and then you have to have the equivalent of a couple of the cars around that.

The roads are not very efficient, so one railroad track gives you about ten highway lanes.

That's a lot less land.

Cars, you've got the drippings off the oil pan, you've got the tires rubbing off and getting into the waterways, on and on and on.

And they kill a lot of people every year.

- Like I said, you've been at this since the mid 1990s.

It's been a hard sell in legislatures, and you really think now's the time.

- Well, unfortunately, now has the time for awhile, but we have a huge opportunity to get this program finally started in a really meaningful way decades behind all of our competitors.

China has already connected most of the country; big cities with high speed rail.

Europe has already done the same thing.

They are taking advantage of that huge productivity increase because they can travel easier.

More affordably and safe.

- Richard Harnish, the executive director of the High Speed Rail Alliance.

In a moment, putting an end to polio.

How a group in the Quad City says it's worth a celebration.

But first Laura Adams has ideas for you in the days ahead when you go out and about.

- This is Out & About for October 8th, through 14th.

Step back in time and tour Havencrest Castle in Savanna, Illinois.

They're open weekends in October.

Check out the Rolling on the River Car Show in LeClaire park on the 16th at nine.

Or how about a bit of chocolate to go along with the 5k race?

Lagomarcino's Coco Beano takes place in Lindsey park on the 16th.

You must register.

It's October, So celebrate at the Quad City Botanical Center's Not So Scary Halloween Walk, or check out the Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours, starting at the German American Heritage Center.

The Halloween season would not be complete without a haunted house and forest, that's in Port Byron, where you'll experience the deepest darkest haunted forest in the Quad Cities.

Plus the QCCA Expo Center holds the Shock House haunted house.

In Moline, there's the Factory of Fear haunted house, while Terror at Skellington Manor is an immersive haunted attraction in rock island.

October 16th, experience, Halloweird at Cordova's International Speedway, and onstage, Bucktown returns to the Davenport Junior Theater with special guests, The Lone Canary on the 15th.

Jackyl performs at the Rust Belt, October 19th.

Tony Hoeppner & Friends entertain guests at the Grape Life the 16th, and Winnie the Pooh kicks off the 70th season at the Davenport Junior Theater, October 16th.

And there are a few performances left of the critically acclaimed production of Company at the Black Box Theater.

For more information, visit wqpt.org.

- Thank you, Laura.

In 1954, large scale vaccinations began in the fight against polio, but even by 1985, it hadn't been wiped out in North and South America.

That's what an effort by many health organizations and the Rotary Club was launched with a goal to eliminate polio from the America's in five years, it actually took nine years, but it was done.

And this month the Rock Island Rotary Club is marking the anniversary of its mission to end polio.

And we talked with Bob Swanson, who's leading the Rock Island Rotary Club's celebration.

Well, Bob, I think a lot of people think when it comes to polio, that it was conquered in the 1950s, it was all done.

But by 19, what mid eighties, you guys really got involved.

- Yeah, the, the vaccine was introduced in 1955, but it wasn't until '89 that the United States was declared polio free.

So it took like 24 years to get to that point.

Rotary got involved back in 1978, where the first project they did was lets try to finance a vaccine for the Philippines.

And it was so successful that in the following year, they decided to approach the World Health Organization and say, why don't we team up and take this on as a worldwide job to eliminate polio.

It's one of the few diseases like smallpox that can be eliminated, but it's all done through vaccines.

- But it is interesting that at this point it is mostly eliminated.

I mean, as you pointed out, I mean, there's, there's three countries.

What is it?

Afghanistan, Pakistan.

I want to say Nigeria.

- Well, that's true.

As of a couple of years ago, Nigeria has since been declared a polio free.

So we're down to just a Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only countries where it still exists in what they call the wild polio virus strain.

- I think it's interesting that you are celebrating 50 years of, of Rotary involvement in trying to eliminate polio through vaccines at a period of time when vaccines are so controversial.

- It is interesting, and it does make it a little bit tough.

The two countries, as I mentioned, that were still battling polio, have their own issues with some of the military issues that have gone on, political issues, and the fact that, they don't have the super highways and, transportation like we have here in the United States.

So, reaching all the children, which is who needs to be vaccinated, is tough.

A lot of it's done on bicycles or motorcycles or mules to get into the villages and, deal with the reluctance to accept Western medicine and get it taken care of.

- Well, and plus you also had the Afghan war, which had, you know, a monumental effect, but it should have had a better influence, you would think, with the military occupation of Afghanistan in order to get some of these medicines and the polio vaccine inside that country.

- You're exactly right.

When the war broke out, there was a, an immediate upturn in the amount of polio cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan went up to over 150, 160 cases in a year.

We had a presence there then over the last two years, and we're really pleased to say so far in 2001, there has been one case reported in Afghanistan and one case reported in Pakistan, and that's it for the whole world; two cases.

But the disease spread so rapidly that unless you totally eliminate it, and in order to be declared polio free, you'd have to have no cases for three consecutive years to totally eliminate it.

It is still a battle.

You've got to reach every child.

And there are some pretty good estimates from the scientists that say, if we were to stop right now and just be happy with ourselves that, Hey, we're down to two cases, we can relax.

They said within 10 years, we'd be back to 200,000 cases worldwide.

- So the job is not finished, but nonetheless Rock Island Rotary does want to celebrate the accomplishments over the last 50 years.

How do you plan to do that?

- Well, we're having a, what we're going to call a Joint Quad City Rotary World Polio Day Gala it's on October 20th, coming up very shortly at the Botanical Center.

It'll be the first time that all eleven Quad City area Rotary Clubs have met together and taken on a joint activity.

The evening we'll have a, start with a cocktail party at six at the Botanical Center, then a buffet dinner at seven.

We have some speakers lined up who are polio survivors that are living in the Quad City area that tell their stories.

And then we're having some presentations of proclamations that most of the mayors and the communities throughout the Quad Cities are declaring a World Polio Day in their city.

And those proclamations will all be presented to us that night.

And then we'll have a showing of a special World Polio Day video that we think will be inspiring to people and help tell the story of what has been accomplished, which is what we're celebrating, and what yet needs to be done, which is what we're going to be working toward.

- Bob Swanson of the Rock Island Rotary Club.

In a moment, your chance to walk the halls of some real history in the cities as the Deere-Wiman House opens its doors.

But first Rebecca Casad and Alan Morrison are a ukulele duo who take an interesting twist on five decades of popular music.

This duo joined us at the River Music Experience to perform one of their original works.

Here's Casad and Morrison with Every Day of the Year.

- ♪ I never dreamed of a place ♪ ♪ Where all I did was look in your eyes ♪ ♪ I'd never wanted a land ♪ where you would be mine ♪ ♪ But despite all the ♪ poking and prodding ♪ ♪ And pretending the other ain't there ♪ ♪ I still find myself next to you ♪ ♪ Every day of the year ♪ ♪ I watched a light as it ♪ comes through my window ♪ ♪ And watch it sparkle across your hair ♪ ♪ I know that you must ♪ be one in a million ♪ ♪ But discovering someone brand new ♪ ♪ And teaching myself how to care ♪ ♪ I still find myself next to you ♪ ♪ Every day of the year ♪ ♪ And even though we fight sometimes ♪ ♪ I know we'll make it through ♪ ♪ My strength to wake up every day ♪ ♪ Seems to always come from you ♪ ♪ I find myself next you ♪ ♪ Though the darkness seems to find us ♪ ♪ We have the strength to carry on ♪ ♪ We must be so much ♪ more than this moment ♪ ♪ So despite all the ♪ fears and the trials ♪ ♪ I know somehow we'll make it there ♪ ♪ And I will find myself next you ♪ ♪ Every day of the year ♪ ♪ Yes I find myself next to you ♪ ♪ Every day of the year ♪ - Casad and Morrison with Every Day of the Year.

The Deere family obviously has a rich history linked to Moline and the Quad Cites.

Some of the grandeur remains in the Butterworth Center and the Deere-Wiman House.

While the Deere-Wiman House has seen a carefully planned and executed restoration of the Victorian home built by John Deere's son, Charles in 1972, it's now open for tourists and Jan Stoffer, director of operations and administration talked with us about it.

You have been undergoing renovations for some time.

I mean, you're really pretty happy to show off the Deere-Wiman house, aren't you?

- We are, we've got a, I mean, the thing about our Deere-Wiman House is that, it has a 90% historical integrity, which is really, really high among historic houses, even in historic house museums.

And so for this house to be, walk that fine line between being a historic house museum and a community center to have that high of a historical integrity is pretty remarkable.

- Yeah, Butterworth Center of course, the Deere-Wiman House, kind of all one big complex, and it all links back to one family.

I mean, it really is the heart of Moline history.

- Yeah, and we like to think so.

You know, the Deere family, we tell the story of the Deere descendants, of course, Charles Deere built the Deere-Wiman House, and he had two daughters and they continued that legacy of giving back to the community by donating their homes to the foundation.

And we are thrilled that community groups and the public get to use our properties both as a community center as, and as a place of learning.

- Now you got tours coming up October 22nd, which is a Friday through Sunday, the 24th.

- Yeah - I think you want people to call ahead, make some reservations, just so that you can make sure that you have certain number of people.

It's about a 90 minute tour.

What are you going to see?

- Well, these are special tours.

We only do them twice a year.

They're called, If These Walls Could Talk, it's led by me.

So we don't hear too much about the history of the family, but we hear more about how the property developed, how the house has changed with technologies and about the Deere family and the Wimans continuing that legacy of being early adapters here in Moline.

- Yeah, because let's be honest, I mean, when that house was built, I can't remember the year.

I want to say it's, 1870 something, right?

- You're, yeah you're good.

1872.

- 1872, I mean, it was a Victorian home, but it was, you know, it wasn't an old home.

It was kind of creating some new technology back then as well.

- It was pushing the limits of what architects could do in 1872.

You know, Jenney was the architect from Chicago; he made sure this house had running water.

And, you know, it's one of the first ones up here on the hill.

So to have running water in this house is pretty remarkable.

And it also came with gas.

It was, it was a very modern added amenity that we use today, which is gas.

And if you look behind me, you see that little circle on the wall?

- [Jim Mertens] Sure, right?

- That is indicative of where a gas fixture once was.

- [Jim Mertens] I see.

Well, and let's be honest, I mean, some people were a little nervous back then.

I mean, they were nervous about putting gas inside a house.

They were nervous about electricity when it came around.

And it's really kind of neat to see what those old houses look like and how you were able to preserve it over the last few years.

- Yeah.

The, there was a lot of concern, especially when water came into the house, a lot of people were very concerned about steam heat coming into the home, plumbing coming into the home.

What happens if a pipe bursts?

What happens if a water gets into your, into your walls?

What, then?

And this house has had steam heat for over a hundred years, and it has had electricity since we know it had electricity by 1890.

So what is really fascinated about the Deere-Wiman property is how it tells the story of how Moline and the Quad Cities progressed as far as getting their utilities.

Many of which we take for granted, we just assume we're going to have running water.

We assume we're going to have heat.

We assume we're going to have electricity.

And that wasn't always the case.

- Well now as you said, the family, the Deere-Wiman family, that Butterworth made sure that those houses at the top of the hill were going to be preserved for history for future generations.

You guys are the caretakers.

You don't take that lightly.

- No, not at all.

We try to be very good stewards with the money that Mrs. Butterworth set aside to care for her property.

And we try to do our best to maintain the historical integrity and of the Deere-Wiman property, along with the Butterworth center property.

I mean, these two properties, I think make the Quad Cities, and especially Moline, different from anywhere USA.

You can't see these types of houses, or these houses specifically anywhere else.

- Once again, the tours were October 22nd through the 24th.

You want everyone to see the pride that you have and actually the pride of Moline?

- Well, I think they're just kind of fun.

On this tour.

I will tell you, Jim, if you choose to come on this tour and I hope you do, bring your comfortable shoes, we will be walking up four flights of stairs, we will go through a tunnel, it's, it's a pretty strenuous exercise.

We do a little stretching beforehand just to make sure everybody's limber, but you will leave with a goodie.

- Jan Stoffer director of operations and administration at the Butterworth Center.

Deere-Wiman House.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us, as we talk about the issues on The Cities (cheerful music) - Wheelan-Presley funeral home and crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT has been serving Quad City families since 1889.

They now have livestream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or memorial service.

- At IHMVCU, we've always been here for you.

You are, and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial and physical health, and we are here.

IHMVCU is a proud supporter of WQPT.