Posts filed under '180 Degrees'
September 26th, 2008
For the Sunday front page centerpiece of “180 Degrees: Solutions for a Better Rockford,” our graphic artist Billy Kulpa created a “Welcome to Rockford” postcard to reflect the growing number of cultural attractions. He chose a retro type feel with modern-day pictures.
Back in the day when I actually sent postcards (maybe 10 years ago), I remember buying Rockford postcards at Magna and other drugstores.
Now it’s your turn: Create a Rockford postcard, and I’ll post it (as long as it’s tasteful, people!). Send to jpollock@rrstar.com in jpeg format with your name, city of residence, daytime phone number for verification and maybe a sentence or two about your design. Note: Submissions may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
September 25th, 2008
Thanks to institutional memory and the Register Star archives, we have a list of ideas that have been proposed for local attractions.
While the area has grown as a tourist destination for insiders and outsiders, there still have been stalled projects. Vote below!
What if officials were able to pull off a few of the ideas that have been proposed in the last 15 years to revitalize Rockford? Which is your favorite?
September 25th, 2008
The Rockford Register Star’s ongoing project, “180 Degrees: Solutions for a Better Rockford,” started with an introduction in May. We’re examining how Rockford has fared over the past three decades in five key areas: crime, culture, education, economy and government. Moving forward, we will focus on how the community can work together to tackle challenges and capitalize on successes.
We published the crime segment in May, and this month, we introduce culture. Culture is an example of a success so far: Back in the early 1980s, we had no MetroCentre, Magic Waters, Volcano Falls, Carlson Ice Arena or Rockford RiverHawks.
June 5th, 2008
Since Tuesday, we’ve run stories, videos, photos and more each day as part of our 180 Degrees series. The focus this time is crime. We started with an overview on Tuesday. Then we shared Tina Miller’s story about losing her son to a heroin overdose about a year ago. Today, we told you about Karl Fort, who police say was responsible for bringing crack to Rockford.
These pieces are resonating with you. Page traffic on this package has been high. More than 12,000 page views on 180 Degrees content since Tuesday. We’ve garnered 20,000 page views since the project debuted in early May. Catch up and join the cause.
May 14th, 2008
All the pieces are starting to fall into place. We are preparing the stories, photos, videos and databases for the second piece of the project. This one will focus on where we are and where we’ve been on crime. We’ve even gone back to our newspaper archives and fished out front pages that have carried banner headlines of major crime stories. Do you remember “Rout at Dawn”?
We’re looking at gangs, the rise of heroin and how one neighborhood watch group is responding to an increase in crime. One of the databases we are creating will live way beyond the life of the project. We will be able to display the monthly figures on major crimes in Rockford, broken down by police beats. If you are a Rockford resident, you will be able to check to see how much crime is in your neighborhood, and whether it is going up or down.
May 8th, 2008
Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson talked on camera about crime in our city. Watch the video.
May 7th, 2008
Law enforcement officials say heroin use is rising in this area because the drug is cheap and readily available. I’m reporting on this issue for our next installment in the 180 Degrees project. Has heroin affected your life? E-mail me at jemerson@rrstar.com or comment here.
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?
May 5th, 2008
We started talking in depth this morning about the next piece of the project, a look at crime and how we got to where we are over the last three decades.
Judy Emerson has been digging into the topic for a couple of months, and we’ve outlined the main stories she’ll write. We want the online experience to be all that and a whole lot more, so tomorrow we will be plotting that strategy.
Already, we have one video in hand, with Police Chief Chet Epperson, and we will be producing many more.
What would you most like to know about crime in Rockford?
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