Archive for May 6th, 2008
May 6th, 2008
We all know Rockford is a great place to raise a family. It’s a generous community, a church-going community, place you can round up volunteers for a worthy cause quicker than the weather changes in April.
But, how much fun is our region? Are you, and/or your family, happy with the arts-entertainment-cultural-recreation scene in the Rock River Valley? Has that part of our lifestyle gotten better, or worse, in the past 30 years.
We know NAT went off the map but look what happened at the Coronado, and the MetroCentre, and Burpee, and Discovery Center, to name a few success stories. Or, are you not impressed?
I’m interested in your view of our after-work life in Rockford, and your attitude about the city? Optimistic? Pessimistic? Sure nothing will ever change? Convinced we’re on the brink of a renaissance?
 Please share your thoughts with me at gnikolai@rrstar.com or 815-987-1337. Leave a message if I’m not available, with your name and number, please.
Thanks.
May 6th, 2008
We met this afternoon to talk about the 180 Degrees campaign. We’re looking at five areas that are essential to this community’s way of life: Crime, education, local economy, government and culture/our sense of place. We kicked off the project last week online and have been posting your comments as we get them. We’re now focusing on crime.
Crime affects us all. Some directly. Some indirectly. Though the crime rate remains high, it has declined in Rockford and across the nation. Still, the perception in Rockford is that crime has spread to formerly safe neighborhoods. We would like to know what role crime has played in your life. How has crime affected you?
Write a brief essay, 500 words or less, and tell us what you think. Feel free to send photos, letters or anything else explains your situation. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want the items returned.
Write to us at the Rockford Register Star, Rockford Crime, 99 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61104. Or e-mail us at onlinenews@rrstar.com. Please put Rockford Crime in the subject line. Also, include your full name, address and telephone number in case we have any questions. All submissions may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity and may be published or distributed in print or electronic forms.
May 6th, 2008
we’ve been working on a timeline of notable points in rockford history for this project, from the metrocentre opening in 1981 to the deseg case ending in 2002.
while people who have lived here a long time will remember all of them, those of us non-natives sometimes remember things from the first year we moved here.
for me it was 1995. the homicide rate was high, for sure, as gang warfare exploded. i also, oddly enough, remember serial killer ray lee stewart’s execution in 1996, waiting by the phone to hear the news.
on a happier note, i remember the coronado opening in 2001 and rockford winning the america in bloom contest in 2005.
do you have suggestions for other milestones to include?
