sucess at my former employer

--While I have left East Moline, I still keep tabs on some of the projects I was working on. We submitted several appropriations requests to congress, and one was successful. Here is the article:

(PS: I worked hard on this and several other appropriations requests, including meeting with the Senators' staff on a regular basis, so I am absolutely taking partial credit for this one.)

E.M. in line to get $250K grant for downtown
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By Bill Mayeroff

Cheri Bustos could think of a few ways to improve downtown East Moline with $250,000."We've got to make sure it looks good," said Ald. Bustos, whose 4th Ward contains the downtown area. Ald. Bustos added she also would like to use the money to do something with the former Strand Theater at 1008 15th Ave. "That marquee's getting to be an eyesore."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced Thursday that East Moline is in line for a $250,000 grant for downtown redevelopment. According to a news release from Sen. Durbin's office, the grant is part of a $57,631,404 appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee. In order for East Moline to get the grant, the bill still must be passed by the full Senate and House of Representatives, although that's unlikely to happen before November's election.

East Moline, Kankakee and Chicago are the only three cities to receive the federal money for economic development efforts, according to the release.Scott Feldt, who became East Moline's economic development director June 30, said he's not sure what would be done with the money if the city gets it. But he knows it will be helpful."Any time you can have an infusion of cash to help revitalize the downtown, it's a good thing," Mr. Feldt said Friday, adding that a committee run by Ald. Bustos to revitalize downtown will likely make a lot of the decisions about spending the money."I'm just going to try to help implement what the downtown revitalization committee wants," he said.

Without Ald. Bustos, the city likely would not be in line for the money, Mr. Feldt said."Ald. Bustos was instrumental in getting this done," he said. "She deserves the credit for all that."A spokeswoman for Sen. Durbin did not return phone calls asking why he chose to appropriate the money for East Moline. But Mayor John Thodos has an idea."Sen. Durbin has close ties to East Moline," Mayor Thodos said Friday.

Sen. Durbin has worked in the past to get money for other projects in East Moline, he said.Ald. Bustos said she's known Sen. Durbin a long time and has talked with him about downtown East Moline even before she took office in May 2007."We've talked with Sen. Durbin and his staff over the course of the last year," she said. "He knows exactly what our challenges are. I'm so appreciative to Sen. Durbin. My hope is that this will be the start of something great."

Although he knows of Ald. Bustos' work with Sen. Durbin, Mayor Thodos said he still was surprised to learn East Moline was up for the grant."Any time I get any grant from any level above my pay grade, I'm surprised," he said.