Looking at stone bridge and 'heating degree days'

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By David Heitz | Monday, February 4, 2008 2:05 AM CST | () comments

Q: I live in northwest Davenport and have a vehicle that will use E-85 fuel. Could you tell me the closest place where I can

get it?

— Robert, Quad-Cities

A: There are not many stations in the Quad-City area that offer the fuel. Here is a short list of those that do, according to the U.S. Department of Energy:

Iowa Eastern Iowa Propane & Petro, 4540 Lincolnway, Clinton, Iowa; River Valley Coop, 902 Lombard St., Clarence, Iowa; Price Oil Co., 302 5th St., Durant, Iowa. Illinois Hometown Express, 365 U.S. 6 East, Geneseo, Ill.; Fast Stop, 615 East Lincolnway, Morrison, Ill.; Shell Express Lane, 1111 U.S. 30, Rock Falls, Ill.; Gold Star FS Fast Stop Express, 1601 1st Ave., Silvis, Ill.

Q: What is the deal with the stone bridge over nothing in Vander Veer Botanical Park in Davenport? I don’t see a sign anywhere about it.

— Davenport resident

A: The stone bridge was part of an extensive lagoon system that originally was part of the park design, city Parks and Recreation Director Dan Sherman said. The series of lagoons was fed by a spring and flowed down the east side of the park culminating in the present lagoon. All were removed during the 1940s and 1950s “for reasons I don’t know,” Sherman said. “As part of the ongoing effort by the parks department and the Friends of Vander Veer to re-establish the elements of the original 1898 park plan, the lagoon system, including the stone bridge, are to be restored in the next phase of park development beginning in 2010.

Q: What are “heating degree days,” as noted on your weather page, and how can I use this information?

— Quad-Citian

A: “Heating degree days” give a reader an idea of how much energy they are using to heat their home, said Rein Schmidt of EJS Weather, which provides the Times with its weather information. Heating degree days are determined by subtracting the mean temperature for the day from a base temperature of 65 degrees. If the mean temperature for a day is 50, it would be 15 heating degree days. If the mean temperature is above 65, there are no heating degree days but you would begin to calculate cooling degree days for air-conditioning use.

For every additional heating degree day, more fuel is needed to maintain a 70-degree indoor temperature. For example, a day with a mean temperature of 35 would be rated as 30 heating degree days and would require twice as much fuel as a day with a mean temperature of 50 degrees.

Q: What does an average newscaster make?

— Gabe, Davenport

A: The salary of anyone who works in the news media can vary greatly, depending on the site of the market where they work. The Quad-Cities generally is considered a mid-sized market. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Web site, the mean salary for a newscaster in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island statistical area is $39,290. Of course, someone with star power could demand a much higher salary.

Follow-up files

In the Jan. 31 edition of Ask the Times, I didn’t make it clear when I answered Beth’s question that Credit Island used to be called Suburban Island.

The small island Beth referred to, with the two worn-down houses, actually is called Pelican Island, according to a 1994 Davenport map. It was located next to present-day Credit Island, which once was a popular summertime destination spot, complete with a roller coaster and carousel.