BOB FEST ON FRIDAY * BILL'S ACROSS IOWA * LOOK FOR US ON TV * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * Vol. 12 * May 14, 2011

SUMMER HOURS

START MAY 16

Uptown Bill's will be making some changes in its hours and programs for the summer. New hours start Monday, May 16. You'll find more details in the calendar section of this Newsletter. The summer hours are also posted in the coffee house.

NEW HOURS FOR

WILD BILL'S, TOO

The original Wild Bill's Coffeeshop will also change its hours for the summer. It will be open weekdays from 8 am to 12:30 pm. Wild Bill's is located in North Hall.

ANTIQUE SALE AT

VINTAGE SHOPPE

Have you been to The Vintage Shoppe lately? Located at 2203 F St., it's another of the projects of the Extend the Dream Foundation along with Uptown Bill's. Saturday, May 21 is a good day to visit the antique and vintage clothing store. An open house and sale are planned that day. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, you can call 338-4466.

SATURDAY NIGHT MUSIC

CONTINUES IN SUMMER

There won't be any break in the Saturday Night Music this summer. Performances continue each Saturday at 7 pm. Coming up: Nicole and Benj Upchurch (May 21) and the Mayflies (May 28).

OPEN MIC MOVING

TO WED & THURS

Starting the week of May 23, Open Mic will be moving to a new time. Actually, there will be two nights of Open Mic each week. On Wednesday nights, Open Mic will focus on spoken word. On Thursday nights, the focus will be on music. Both start at 7 pm. Hope you'll join us or both.

PRICE OF COFFEE

GOING UP SOON

A cup of coffee will cost an additional 25 cents starting May 23 at Uptown Bill's. The price for a mug or small cup will be $1.25. For a large cup or travel mug: $1.50. Refills: 75 cents for a small cup or Uptown Bill's mug; $1 for a large cup or travel mug. 

SCOTT GERST IS

ARTIST FOR MAY

Art by Scott Gerst is on display during May at the coffee house. Also on display: posters of 20th century activists created by MSW students in an Organization and Community Practice course. 

WE'RE LOOKING FOR

SUMMER VOLUNTEERS

Would you like to volunteer this summer at Uptown Bill's? We're looking for individuals who are willing to make a commitment of 2-3 hours each week for 6-8 weeks. There are morning, afternoon and evening shifts available. If you'd like to find out more about volunteer opportunities, call Tom Gilsenan at 339-0401. Or send an email to: tomgilsenan@gmail.com.

BOB FEST IS

THIS WEEK

Friday, May 20 is date for the Bob Fest Open Mic. It's our way of celebrating Bob Dylan's 70th birthday. You're invited to interpret a Dylan tune in song or spoken word. Starts at 7 pm. You can sign up now at the coffee house.

BOOKINGS FOR

SUMMER MUSIC

Would you like to play at Uptown Bill's this summer? We're looking for performers who'd like to play on our stage. There are still a few openings on Thursday and Saturday evenings. There are also opportunities on other afternoons or evenings. For information, contact Tom Gilsenan at tomgilsenan@gmail.com. You can get a look at our performance space by visiting Uptown Bill's on Facebook. 

IMAGINE A NETWORK

OF COFFEE SHOPS

Trace your finger across a map of the Midwest. Go from Iowa City, IA to Minneapolis, MN  to Aberdeen, SD and then back the other way. Now imagine a network of Bill-friendly coffeeshops along the way. 

It's not an impossible dream. After all, there are already four -- Bill's and Uptown Bill's in Iowa City, Hard Times in Minneapolis and Red Rooster in Aberdeen. Each welcomes all, including those who are not welcome in other places. Also, each has decided that part of its mission is serving individuals with disabilities. 

There's the beginning. Now let's get to work on adding more coffeeshops like these in our communities. Again, this is not just a dream. Almost every month, we hear from someone who imagines opening a coffeeshop like Bill's. I recent years, Tom Gilsenan has met with people in Des Moines and Dubuque, Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls, Sioux Falls and Sioux City, Minneapolis and Council Bluffs who have coffeeshop dreams. Tom Walz has met with others. And there are likely many more.

These are seeds, waiting to be planted and tended. We can help each other plant these seeds and nourish their growth into thriving coffeeshops. We don't have to all be the same, or have the same business models. But we can all be inspirations for each other.

You might think of a collection of Bill-friendly coffeeshops as being like open source software. Microsoft can't control open source software; Starbucks can't control open-source coffeeshops. That's because Bill Sackter belongs to us all.

SUMMER TOUR PLANNED FOR

BILL-FRIENDLY COFFEESHOPS

Uptown Bill's is organizing a Midwest summer tour of 'Bill-friendly' coffeeshops' -- places which share the spirit of Bill Sackter. We have several coffeeshops on our list already, but we're looking for more. Is there a coffeeshop in your community we should visit? Let us know. 

A TRIP ACROSS IOWA

FOR UPTOWN BILL'S

A good friend of Uptown Bill's plans to walk across Iowa starting later this month. Dale Hankins plans to travel on US 30 starting from Clinton and heading west all the way to Nebraska. US 30 was the first cross country highway and was originally called the Lincoln Highway.  Our friend will promote the coffee house by talking about us and showing "A Friend Indeed," the documentary about the life and legacy of Bill Sackter. He hopes to raise a little money, too. His trip will take him through Clinton, DeWitt, Mt Vernon, Tama, Marshalltown, Ames, Boone, Carrroll, Denison and other communities. Let us know if you'd like him to stop and see you. You're also invited to walk with him through your town. More details soon. 

LIVE TV SHOW ON

TUESDAY, MAY 31

Tom's Guitar Show will be broadcast live from Uptown Bill's on Tuesday, May 31. The one hour show runs from 6 to 7 pm. You're invited to come down and be a part of the studio audience. The show is a production of PATV, community television in Iowa City. It's broadcast on cable channel 18 and can also be viewed on your computer as a webcast.

SEE UPTOWN

BILL'S ON TV

A variety of events at Uptown Bill's have been filmed for broadcast on PATV, community television in Iowa City. Check the schedule for Channel 18 to find out what's being shown this week. You can also watch programs on your computer. Visit the PATV website at: http://patv.tv/blog. Type Uptown Bill's in the search box and then choose the program you'd like to watch. 

VISIT OUR PAGES

ON FACEBOOK

Find out more about Uptown Bill's and Bill's Bookmart. Visit our pages on Facebook. Also see the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page. You can follow us on Twitter, too: Uptown Bill's.

COMING UP THIS WEEK

AT THE COFFEE HOUSE

Thursday, May 19: Art and Music Night, 6-8 pm

Friday, May 20: Bob Fest, a celebration of Dylan music in song and spoken word, 7-9 pm

Saturday, May 21: Saturday Night Music with Nicole and Ben Upchurch

Wednesday, May 25: Readers and Writers Group, 6 pm. Open Mic (Spoken Word), 7 pm.

Thursday, May 26: Art & Music Night, 6 pm. Open Mic (Music), 7 pm

Saturday, May 28: Saturday Night Music with the Mayflies.

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Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in it 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open every day from 8 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's page on Facebook. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

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In the spirit of Bill Sackter, Uptown Bill's strives to nurture and encourage a gathering place where people of all abilities are welcome. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our web page: www.uptownbills.org